


My Voice is Right Here

by Ennuiwolf



Category: ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Genderbending, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Romance, Slice of Life, bcuz why not, cliche shoujo manga, fem!Ren, one-sided
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 50,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25687399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ennuiwolf/pseuds/Ennuiwolf
Summary: "You are receiving it, is what I want to believe."Ren is tired of being strung along by Nayuta, and just wants him to stop running and look behind him for once.fem!Ren, NayuRen, onesided YutoRen
Relationships: Asahi Nayuta/Nanahoshi Ren, Goryo Yuto/Nanahoshi Ren, Goryo Yuuto/Nanahoshi Ren
Comments: 21
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first Argonavis fic! I hope you enjoy it!

_This is what we were, and this is all we’ll ever be._

This is what she thought as the white-haired man pushed her against the wall of the studio. As usual, he never said a word, instead just leading in and sliding his lips over hers, eliciting moans from her.

He was always so rough with her, almost as if he didn’t care about her.

Was it wrong for her not to care about that?

He pulled away for a bit of air. “N-Nayuta-kun…” she stammered but was immediately silenced by his growl.

“Nayuta-kun,” she tried again, as he tilted his head, pressing his lips just under her ears and working his way down her neck. “S-someone might see us…”

“Shut up,” he spoke, his voice deep and cutting her off.

“But if anyone sees-!” she protested once more.

“I don’t care!”

His reply was simple and immaculate like always. She sighed. It seemed that once more, she would have to be the one on lookout. She worried severely if anyone found them…All it would take was just one person, a fan, a staff member, one of her friends, Mashu-san. Just one person needed to walk around the edge of the building to see the two of them shrouded in the darkness.

But he certainly wasn’t helping keep their secret.

Even before, Nayuta was always captivating. She’d first found him through watching the videos of Gyroaxia’s lives posted online, and he’d stood out to her from the very beginning. Those dormant feelings rose up when she heard him perform for the first time live.

Ren remembered that show extremely well, the show where Argonavis had opened for Gyroaxia. While the others had been quite intimidated by the powerful mixed rock band, Nayuta’s singing had stirred something in her soul. It had been what made her realize that the thing she’d been searching for her whole life, she’d only get it in this band, with these people, with Argonavis.

She wasn’t sure when she’d begun to feel something…different towards Nayuta.

While she was grateful that she’d someone gotten through to him during their battle of the bands, and especially when they sang together, what he did next had surprised her to the core. What had started that night, when he dragged her away from her friends and pressed her against the wall, forcefully kissing her, had continued for the months since, even as the bands moved to Tokyo.

For so many months, Nayuta had forced his feelings onto her and left right afterwards without a word. And for so many months she hadn’t said anything about it.

Probably because she liked it herself.

She liked it a lot, maybe too much.

Nayuta was overwhelming, and he was addicting. The things he made her body experience, she’d never experienced it before.

She knew that her emotions weren’t rational. And she couldn’t deny that she let him drag her around as well as really lean in when he kissed her. She lived for his kisses. While rough, there was a certain gentleness to them. She felt like there was something about him, like he was letting his guard down but was afraid of showing her this side of him, and it somehow showed in his kisses.

He had the ability to blur her mind and make her knees feel like jelly.

That was how overwhelming he was.

A sudden buzz distracted both of them, making Ren jump. _Had they been discovered?_

“Tch,” Nayuta spat. He felt around in his coat pocket and pulled out his phone, while Ren let out a breath of relief.

“Satozuka,” he said into the phone. “You have no idea just what you interrupted.”

“That may be,” the redhead’s voice sounded from the other end of the line. “But I thought it important to let you know that Argonavis will be looking for their vocalist very soon. Would you care to return her?”

Nayuta cut the call without bothering to answer. “W-was that Kenta-san?” Ren asked softly.

Nayuta gave a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Go,” he told her. “Your friends will be here soon.”

Her eyes widened. “They will?” She began to panic slightly, fussing around. “Am I alright? Are my clothes wrinkled? Is my hair a mess? Oh, what if they figure out about us- “

He cut her off with a kiss. “Go,” he repeated.

Ren nodded and quickly escaped, setting her bangs quietly. As she made her way into the light from the dark corner, she found the four members of Argonavis walking.

“Oh, Ren, there you are,” Wataru immediately spotted her.

“Where have you been?” Yuto fussed. “We’ve been looking all over for you. Rio’s making dinner.”

“Yep!” Banri exclaimed. “We wanted to order out but Rio decided to cook for us. It’s cheaper this way!”

Rio just gave her a soft smile, and she returned it.

She quickly placed her hand on her heart as the boys fussed amongst themselves. It was still beating heavily. Of course it was, she was just with him. She released a breath, slowing it more before laughing along with the other four.

As they faded into the background, Nayuta watched from the darkness, his face more of a frown than his usual glare.

“Nanahoshi was right, you know,” a voice behind him said. “You really should be more careful.”

Nayuta turned his head to see a familiar bespectacled redhead leaning against a tree.

“I just made up quite the web of lies to stop Mashu-san from coming to find you,” Kenta informed him. “And you really should pick a better spot if you want to continue your…trysts…with Nanahoshi. I could see you two from there.”

He pointed to a window that regrettably, despite the darkness, had quite a clear view of the two of them.

Nayuta huffed. “I don’t care if anyone sees us,” he said. “It doesn’t affect my music.”

Kenta sighed. “Look, I don’t care what you do as long as you continue to be Gyroaxia’s vocalist,” the elder said. “But there are consequences to what you’re doing with her. If it gets out that the two of you are together, then- “

“We’re not together,” Nayuta cut him off. “So, you have nothing to worry.”

Kenta raised an eyebrow. “Hm?” he said. “Then what are you two?”

Nayuta turned away. “It doesn’t concern you.”

“You’re right,” Kenta replied. “It doesn’t concern me. What does concern me, as Gyroaxia’s leader, is that I’ve kept your secret for months, but if it begins to affect you- “

“It won’t.”

Kenta looked at the burning determination in Nayuta’s eyes. “I promised to seize the world with my music, and I will do so,” he said. “No one will come in the way of that, not even Nanahoshi Ren.”

He stormed away back towards the studio, leaving Kenta behind. The redhead let out a deep sigh, removing his glasses and pressing the bridge of his nose.

“This is really a mess,” he muttered. “I’ll probably end up cleaning it up again, as usual.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren comes to terms with her growing feelings for Nayuta, as well as her frustrations at feeling left behind by him.

Ren lay in bed, absolutely exhausted from the day.

Not only had she been a part of a very vigorous live, but then there was her encounter with Nayuta afterwards. Their encounters always made her feel ten times more tired than normal.

Probably it was a testament to the effect he had on her.

And yet, despite being exhausted, she couldn’t fall asleep no matter how much she tried.

She breathed out, turning on her side. Her eyes fell to her palm that was resting on the edge of the bed.

Whenever Nayuta would drag her out, he almost always did it by grabbing her palm. Even after they separated, she could swear she could still feel the heat of his own palms, and his gentle grip.

She clenched her fist, closing her eyes as her heart began to hurt.

What were they? What did she mean to Asahi Nayuta?

If she’d ever ask him, he’d always either shut her up or ignore her outright. She supposed it was because he may have felt that he already had addressed this before.

Yeah, she remembered that too.

The first time they kissed. Right after the battle of the bands.

She had to admit, the first time had been electrifying. She’d read about this stuff but had never thought it would actually happen to her. There was a definite connection between them, with the way they worked together, and how they played off of each other.

Yet, right afterwards, he’d been so surprised by his own actions.

She also clearly remembered his words.

“This means nothing.”

She didn’t know why, but while she wasn’t quite affected back then, now when she thought of his words, it brought tears to her eyes.

Ren tightly closed her eyes as she felt the corners of her eyes heat up.

Why?

Why did he have such an effect on her?

This wasn’t there when they started their “arrangement” all those months ago.

Why now?

She sighed deeply. It seemed her heart had begun hurting even more recently whenever she was with Nayuta, or even thought about him.

_This means nothing._

She knew what they had was nothing but physical. To him, she was probably nothing but a tool to relieve his frustrations.

Yet, to her, he was clearly much more. To her, he was an inspiration, a rival, and dare she say it, a friend. So many times he’d come through for her, from encouraging her on the phone to pulling her on stage during DesFes.

Now that she thought about it, Nayuta always wanted her to see the same sights as he did and stand on the same stage as him.

She smiled without knowing. Perhaps, somewhere deep down, he saw her as a friend too…somewhere.

_Friend._

Somehow, that word still hurt her heart.

Why?

What did she want?

More?

What was more than friendship? Rivalry? No.

Ren curled up a little tighter. “I want to see him again,” she whispered. To whom, she had no idea.

***

“Well, that was a good practice!” Yuto exclaimed cheerfully.

“I agree,” Rio hummed.

Something seemed to have struck Wataru at the moment as the redhead turned to Rio and Banri. “Did we finish early by any chance today?” he wondered. “How much time do we have left?”

Rio checked his watch. “We did finish early,” he agreed. “I think we do have fifteen more minutes remaining.”

“Should be enough for one more song, then,” Banri said, twirling the drumstick in his hand.

“You’d rather continue to practice?” Yuto asked, slightly weary.

“Gotta get the best out of the studio fees!” Banri exclaimed, making his signature money sign.

Yuto sighed. “What about you, Ren?” he asked the vocalist. “Are you good for one more song?”

“Unh,” Ren nodded. “I can sing more.”

Yuto turned, sharing a quick look with Wataru. He then smiled. “Well then, one more song it is,” he declared, defeated. “What should we play?”

“We should let Ren choose the last song,” Rio suggested.

Wataru nodded. “I agree, shocking as it is,” he said.

“Ren, what do you want to sing?” Yuto asked her.

She thought about it for a moment. Normally, she’d choose something like Goal Line, since it was a song she absolutely loved to perform, and it was one where she really felt connected to Argonavis. She’d also love to perform Starting Over, but she knew the idea would be shot down at once due to how much it would strain her voice.

What did she want to sing?

She closed her eyes, and to her astonishment, a feeling overtook her. The feeling of being pulled along without a choice, the feeling of being a leaf in a hurricane, a piece of paper floating in the raging ocean. An ocean named Asahi Nayuta.

Just like when they’d performed Starting Over, it felt like Nayuta was just dragging her along and she had no choice but to follow.

In a way, it felt like he was always looking ahead, looking for something.

All while she was right there.

Right there.

She tightened her drip around the mic. “I-I want to sing Starry Line,” she declared.

“Hm?” Rio noticed. “Not the first choice I expected you to pick.”

“Starry Line, huh?” Wataru said fondly. “It’s been a while.”

“Well, Starry Line it is!” Yuto exclaimed.

Ren closed her eyes as the rest began to play the beginning bars of Starry Line, and she thought back to when she and Wataru wrote the song.

When she first wrote Starry Line, what she had in her mind was the distance between herself and Nayuta. She had become aware of the difference in their capabilities, as well as of the fact that she may never measure up to him. Perhaps the industry was the same, full of people like Nayuta, those who blew everyone else away.

Yet all Ren wanted was to be able to sing her songs and have people listen to her.

She also had to admit, her song was also directed towards Nayuta. Just like how Manifesto was his resolve to seize the world, as he put it, Starry Line was her resolve to not get left behind. Despite how intimidated she was by him and his power, with Argonavis, she knew she could do it.

But today, as she sang Starry Line, it was for a different reason. It was as if the song was putting into words the indescribable feelings that kept her up at night. And in the music, she began to find clarity.

_“For me to reach someone’s eyes, is what I am wishing for…”_

She’d spent all these months feeling like Nayuta wasn’t even looking at her. She wanted him to look at her. To truly see her.

Not just as a musician. Not just as a rival. Not just as a friend.

_“My voice is right here.”_

_“You are receiving it, is what I want to believe.”_

***

Nayuta panted heavily, leaning against the mic.

“Alright,” he heard Kenta’s voice. “That’s enough practice for today.”

At once, Nayuta heard the relieved sounds of everyone stretching and packing up. He, without a word, collected his jacket and left the studio.

Upon reaching his room, he was greeted by Nyankotarou. Giving the cat a pat before flopping down on the bed, he allowed the cat to jump up on him and curl up on his abdomen.

While he would generally stay back and practice more, today, he somehow wanted to return.

Reaching over, he grabbed the tablet lying on his side table. Opening it, he resumed watching what he was.

Argonavis’s performance of Starry Line, their DesFes audition.

Somehow, Nayuta felt like listening to this song. In a way, it felt like Ren wanted to tell him something today, although he didn’t know what.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren takes solace in her friends and comes to terms with her feelings for Nayuta.

They arrived at the live house they were supposed to play at much earlier than they needed to. It was Wataru’s cautiousness that forced them all to be at the venue three hours in advance to the event. According to the redhead, however, it was a chance to observe other bands and take notes.

Yuto had taken it as a chance to drop off their instruments and drag everyone for sightseeing.

The five stopped at a park on the way after being dragged around the neighborhood by their energetic leader. Somehow, Wataru had convinced Yuto to let them take a break and buy them some snacks from a crepe truck parked some way away.

While the two went off to buy the items in question, the other three decided to loiter around. Rio and Banri took a seat on a park bench and Rio began getting Banri into his hobby of people watching. Despite Banri’s initial lack of interest, the blonde quickly found himself being swept into Rio’s accurate deductions about people.

In the meantime, Ren took a quick stroll. It wasn’t too far from the others.

She wasn’t really thinking at this point, just letting her legs take her wherever they pleased.

They took her to a wall around twenty feet behind the bench where Rio and Banri had perched. Looking up from her feet, her eyes fell to the poster put up on the wall.

A Gyroaxia poster…

Her eyes immediately found Nayuta’s raging red eyes. Even on this poster, his eyes maintained their raging determination. He looked out at the passers-by, declaring his resolve and daring anyone else to think of trying to reach him.

“Prefer the real thing,” she murmured to herself.

“What real thing?”

She jumped and turned around, only to find Rio and Banri staring at her quizzically. “Y-you guys…”

“Ren, are you alright?” Banri asked her, tilting his head. “You were looking kind of weirdly at the poster.”

Rio cast a look at the poster as well. “Gyroaxia, huh?” he muttered. He recalled when he’d seen Ren staring at a Gyroaxia poster before, back in Sapporo. “Wondering whether you’re able to stand on the same stage at last?” he guessed.

She grinned. “Thanks, but not really,” she replied.

“Then what’s wrong?” Banri questioned.

“It’s…complicated,” Ren trailed off. Even if she were to tell them, she didn’t know where to start. Heck, she herself couldn’t make sense of what she and Nayuta were.

Luckily, at that moment, Yuto and Wataru decided to return, crepes in hand. “Hm, you’re all here?” Yuto asked.

Rio nodded. “Ren found her way here, so we kept her company.”

Wataru cast a look towards the Gyroaxia poster as well. “I can see why,” he commented.

“Anyway, we bought crepes!” Yuto excitedly yelled, presenting the collection.

As Banri and Rio took the crepes, Ren threw one final sad look towards the Gyroaxia poster. A look, unknown to her, that didn’t go unnoticed by Wataru.

The redhead approached her. “Here, yours is with me,” he told her, handing her one of the two he was carrying.

“Thanks,” she smiled at the bassist.

“So,” Yuto piped up as the five enjoyed their snack. “What do you guys want to do now? I know a great place- “

“Actually…” Ren cut him off. “Is it possible for us to go back?”

“Go back? Why?”

“I want to sing,” she stated. “Somehow, I really want to sing right now.” She clenched her fist at her side.

Yuto observed her for a moment before sighing. “Well, if you say so,” he said, defeated once more. “Let’s go back and see whether we can perform early, or I’ll try to get us a studio to practice in for a bit.”

Wataru chuckled slightly, biting into his crepe.

Yuto couldn’t say no to Ren no matter how much he tried.

***

Ren looked around the practice room, finding it pretty empty. “Um, Rio and Yuto aren’t here yet?” she asked.

“Rio said he has something to take care of, so he’ll be coming late. Yuto had an errand to run that he forgot about, so he’ll be here in a while,” Wataru dutifully relayed the information.

“I was supposed to be late too,” Banri sheepishly chuckled. “But luckily, I finished my work early, so I thought we’d get some practice in!”

Ren smiled. “Great!”

“Actually,” Wataru cut in, causing the vocalist and the drummer to turn to him. “Why don’t we take a breather?” He put his bass down, instead pulling up a chair and flopping down on it.

“A…breather?” The sentiment was echoed unanimously by both Banri and Ren.

“But I just got here!”

“We’ll waste the studio fees!”

“Calm down you two,” Wataru was too calm for Ren. “It’s been a while since we haven’t rushed headlong into practice. I want to take a moment.”

Banri sighed. “I’m not paying for them anyway.” He shrugged and stepped away from his drums.

Ren was reluctant but did as Wataru suggested. Perhaps he was right? He always was.

“That reminds me,” Wataru spoke up. “Ren, is something wrong?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve felt a little off for a few days,” Wataru told her. “Not your performance, of course,” he added quickly upon seeing the panic fly through her eyes. “But in general. It feels like you’re always somewhere else.”

“I noticed that too,” Banri piped up. “And then there was the way you were looking at that Gyroaxia poster earlier this week.”

“Y-you guys noticed?” Ren stammered.

“Ren, are you thinking about surpassing Asahi Nayuta again?” Wataru guessed. “If you are, then remember what we talked about? If the five of us work together, we can definitely catch up to one lone genius.”

“Is that so?” Banri cut in. “Then don’t worry about it, Ren! We’re all here for you!”

“That’s…not what it’s about!” Ren raised her voice, silencing the other two.

Wataru leaned back into his chair. “Then what’s wrong?” he asked.

Ren sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a moment. Should she tell them? But she promised herself she’d keep it a secret. But then again, it was almost like she was the only one worried about it, after all he didn’t seem to care a bit if they were caught. So, would it change anything if she were to divulge?

Besides, she felt if she didn’t speak about it, these feelings would probably consume her.

“I-I’ve been seeing Asahi Nayuta,” she spoke out, twiddling her thumbs together.

With the way both Wataru and Banri looked at her, she felt like a deer caught in the headlights. Their eyes were both wide, wide enough that she worried they might pop out of their skulls.

“I-It’s not like that though!” she quickly said, putting her hands up in defence. “What I mean to say is- actually I don’t know myself…”

Banri looked like he was about to talk, but Wataru shot him a look. The redhead then turned back to the panicking vocalist.

“Tell us everything, as much as you want. We’re here to listen.”

Ren’s eyes almost teared with gratitude. Over the next ten minutes, she laid out everything, from how her secret trysts with Nayuta began, to their continued meetings, to the nature of their relationship, to her growing feelings for him. She spoke to them about how she felt like she was being strung along with no control, and how she just wanted Nayuta to stop running and take a moment to look back at her for once. Before she knew it, she felt drops falling on the hands she placed on her knees.

_A-am I…crying?_

She lifted her hands to wipe her tears, but they simply would not stop. To her despair, they just kept falling, as if they’d been hiding all this time and were ready to burst into a tidal wave. She closed her mouth to keep from sobbing, yet the tears simply wouldn’t stop.

She felt a warm hand on her knee, and opened her eyes to see Wataru, giving her a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry we didn’t realize sooner,” he told her. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

Banri took out a handkerchief and held it out to Ren. “Here, this will help,” he urged. “It’s the least I can do.”

Her eyes watered a bit more as she accepted Banri’s handkerchief. “You guys…”

“Next time, if there’s something on your mind, you should come and tell us,” Wataru said. “You don’t have to carry this burden by yourself.”

Banri nodded. “Yeah, we’re Argonavis after all!” he joyfully exclaimed. “Together, the five of us can do anything!”

Ren laughed, really laughed. It had been a while, but somehow, unleashing everything was quite therapeutic. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She was then surprised as Wataru got up. “I have to check something quick, so I’ll be right back.”

The two nodded, and he exited the room, closing the door behind him. Once he did, the kind smile fell from his face, and he turned his head to the side, where he found Yuto, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and a sour look on his face.

“How long have you been standing there?” Wataru asked.

“Long enough,” was Yuto’s only reply.

“So how much of it did you hear?”

“Everything.”

Wataru sighed. “How’re you doing, Yu?” he asked, a concerned tone in his voice.

Yuto’s grip tightened. “She’s been suffering all this time,” he growled. “And all because of _him_. He’s such a narcissistic asshat that he probably doesn’t even understand how much he’s hurting her. But Ren still takes it and I don’t know why…”

Wataru placed his hand on the brunette’s shoulder. “Just…whatever you do, don’t do anything dumb, alright?” he asked exasperatedly.

“I won’t,” Yuto assured him.

Yet, considering the fact that he barely made eye contact with him, Wataru wondered Yuto would truly do something stupid that could blow up in his face one day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuto confronts Nayuta head on and makes a declaration.

The white-haired man was in the middle of his regular push-ups when his doorbell rang, pulling him out of his concentration.

 _Who the hell is it at this time?_ He wondered. If it was Satozuka once more, he’d be giving him words.

Pulling himself to his feet with a frustrated sigh, Nayuta walked to the door. He grumpily pressed the button of the intercom. “Who is it this time?” he grumbled.

“It’s me.”

The voice on the other end caught Nayuta by surprise. He had expected Kenta, known for dropping by randomly to check up on him. Or he had even expected Ren, at the very least. Anyone, but _him_.

“Goryo?”

“Are you letting me in?” To Nayuta’s surprise, the brunette’s voice lacked the usual vigour, instead replaced by what he could only decipher as mild annoyance. “I’d like to talk.”

He sighed, opening the door. Might as well see what he wanted and finish it quickly. “Oi, do you even know what time it is?”

“Sorry, but this just couldn’t wait.”

Nayuta stepped aside reluctantly, allowing Yuto in. As the band leader stepped in, Nayuta rubbed the back of his neck. _This really wasn’t the right time to be dealing with Goryo right now..._

“So? Get on with it,” Nayuta began. “I’ve got other things to do.”

Yuto turned around, and the look he gave Nayuta made him pause. It was the most uncharacteristic look on him. It was enough to make even Nayuta raise an eyebrow.

“I know what you’ve been doing to Ren.”

Nayuta paused mid-scratch. “Hm?” he said simply. “And what have I been doing to Nanahoshi?”

“You’ve been stringing her along,” Yuto said, his hands balling into fists at his side. “Playing with her feelings.”

Nayuta crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. “So, you know?”

“I know enough,” Yuto replied. “Enough to know that you’re hurting her with your actions.”

Nayuta huffed slightly. It was rare to see Yuto this angry, but he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with him and his hang-ups. “Look, I’m not in the mood right now, so- “

“Just listen for once!” Yuto yelled, startling Nayuta.

“Hah?”

“You think you can just go around using people like usual, but this isn’t your usual case!” Yuto exclaimed. “This is Ren we’re talking about! Not some random girl off the street.”

“And what’s your problem, Goryo?” Nayuta really wished he’d get to the point sooner.

“My point is that Ren is in love with you, but you don’t even care!”

Nayuta’s eyes widened at that. “I-in love?” he murmured, low enough for Yuto to not hear.

Yuto scoffed. “But you don’t even care, do you?” he said slowly. “As long as you’re getting your fix, you don’t care what others go through. You’ll be happy enough to throw her away too when the time comes, won’t you?”

Nayuta gritted his teeth slightly. “What I do with Nanahoshi Ren has nothing to do with you.”

“On the contrary, it does,” Yuto shot back. “As Argonavis’s leader, and as Ren’s friend, it has a lot to do with me.”

Nayuta raised an eyebrow as Yuto took a deep breath and continued. “Ren…means a lot to Argonavis, and to me too. So I just can’t stand by while she’s in tears over you and you don’t even seem to care enough to notice that she’s suffering by herself.”

 _She was in tears?_ That seemed to be the only thing that stood out to the white-haired man.

Still, he huffed and looked away. “I don’t care,” he stated. “It means nothing, after all.”

Yuto gritted his teeth at Nayuta’s nonchalant response. “So,” he said. “If I were to ask her out, you’d be okay with it?”

“Tch,” Nayuta spat. “Do whatever the hell you want.”

“Just as I thought,” Yuto growled. “You don’t even care about her, do you?”

At this point, Nayuta’s already little patience finally ran out. “Get out of my apartment,” was what the told the other. He refused to turn until he heard the satisfying click of his door closing, at which point he let out a deep breath.

“What the hell was that?” he wondered to himself.

Anyway, it was just as annoying as he expected. Nayuta exhaled, deciding to just skip the remainder of his workout and just get to bed instead.

Yet, as he lay in bed, a thought crept up in the back of his mind. Yuto’s declaration stood out to him.

_If I were to ask her out…_

An image formed in his mind, of Yuto with Ren, standing side by side. In his mental image, she smiled at him, with all the light radiating off her.

The thought made his heart clench.

***

“Hmm…”

“Ren, what’s wrong?” Wataru asked.

“I just realized I have nothing to do on our day off,” Ren slumped back into her chair, defeated.

“Weren’t you going to apply for that part-time job Banri recommended?” Rio wondered.

“I got rejected,” she stated.

“Why?”

“I went to the wrong place.”

“Oh, I guess I messed the location up again, huh?” Banri sheepishly chuckled. “Sorry, Ren.”

“No worries,” she smiled wearily at Banri. She then looked around. “Actually, can we meet for a practice then?”

“No can do,” Banri said immediately. “I have part-time work.”

“And I’m with Banri on that day, so I can’t come,” Rio cut in as well.

“Sorry, Ren,” Wataru gave her a sympathetic smile. “I have a prior engagement on that day too.”

“So…” Ren trailed off, defeated.

“But I’m free!” Her heart lifted as Yuto chimed in.

“You are?” she asked, her eyes shining.

“Yeah! I can definitely spend the evening.”

Relief washed over her. At least she wouldn’t need to be alone, nor trouble Nayuta. “That sounds awesome!”

At the moment, Yuto had been near the door, about to leave. He flashed her a smile. “Great!” he exclaimed. “It’s a date.”

He left promptly after his declaration, leaving Ren behind to process the information. As she slowly realized just what he meant, her face began to heat up.

“Eeh?”

“About time, honestly,” Rio commented on the side, in the middle of packing up.

“Guess he finally made his move, huh?” Banri chuckled, already halfway out the door.

The two left, leaving Ren behind with Wataru.

“Um, Wataru?”

“Hm, what’s wrong?”

Ren folded her hands in front of her, playing with her fingers like she always did whenever she was deeply troubled. “W-why would Yuto do that?”

Wataru smiled softly. “It really caught you off guard, huh?” he said. “I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“B-but does Yuto-?”

“Like you?” Wataru completed. He then solemnly nodded. “If I know Yu, I think he’s liked you since he first heard you sing.”

She looked down at that, the heat rising to her face.

“You’re worried about Nayuta, aren’t you?”

She raised her head to see Wataru at the door, one hand on the handle and ready to leave. Yet, the sympathetic look he gave her told her that he of all people truly understood her inner turmoil.

She nodded silently.

The redhead smiled. “I actually think this may be a good thing for you.”

“Huh?”

“If Nayuta causes you much hurt, perhaps Yuto will be different. Perhaps it can help you.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I suppose so.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Yuto and Ren finally go on their date, Nayuta confronts his feelings for Ren as well as his fears.

Yuto had kept any and all details of their date a secret till the fateful night, causing Ren much worry and stress. Whenever she’d attempted to ask him what they were to do, he’d always assure her not to worry about it too much, yet insisted on keeping it a secret.

The stress led her to spending way too much time scavenging in her closet for something to wear, yet without any idea of the location, she couldn’t find anything.

_The hell am I supposed to do?_

On the side, however, she had to admit she was throwing herself into this to take her mind off of someone else; Nayuta.

She was well aware that what they had was purely physical, and this date with Yuto might actually be a good idea, like Wataru said.

Yuto was always so nice to her, always a gentleman, always putting the rest of them first. She had immense respect for him as their leader and how much Argonavis meant to him. He was always ready to go the extra mile for all of them.

_And now that she knew he liked her…_

Her heart strangely clenched at that. Why? Was it because she’d spent her entire school life alone and lonely? Was it because the one boyfriend she’d had fizzled out in just a couple of months since they just weren’t compatible? Was it because now, she felt needed, desired, _loved_ , after all this time?

But then what was this sinking feeling?

After all, she and Nayuta weren’t even a thing…

So why was she feeling like she was cheating on him?

Shaking the thoughts of Nayuta out of her head, she went back to her usual conundrums.

Eventually she just gave up and dressed normally. And it was an even bigger relief when she showed up at their meeting place to find Yuto also dressed like he always was.

At least it wasn’t a random fancy place or anything…

“So, where are we going?” she asked as she fell into step with him.

“Hm, I thought you already guessed,” Yuto asked, a bit surprised.

While she didn’t understand it outright, when they turned the corner, she was greeted with the sight of her favourite place in the world.

“Karaoke?” she exclaimed.

Yuto grinned at her. “I thought you’d prefer to spend your day off singing, if I know you at all.” He chuckled. “You get to sing anything you want, as long as you want!”

Her eyes sparkled. “Yuto~”

***

Kenta was busy wiping the last of the cat hair off Nayuta’s table when his phone rang. Quickly putting the damp rag away, he pulled out his phone.

“Wataru?”

“Oh, nii-san, you’re there!” the younger voice exclaimed on the other end of the line.

“Sorry, I’ll take a little more time,” Kenta apologized. “I have a bit more work to do.”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“What about you?” Kenta inquired. “Why the sudden invitation?”

“What do you mean?”

“Its your day off, right? I assumed you wanted to spend it with our friends, not simply your brother.”

Wataru chuckled on the end. “Yeah, sorry for the sudden call,” the younger redhead apologized. “But I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Intrude on whom?” Kenta questioned.

“Yuto and Ren.”

Kenta raised an eyebrow. “Oh, do tell.”

“Well, Yuto finally asked her out.”

“On a date?” Kenta hummed appreciatively. “About time.”

“Everyone thought the same too.”

“So, you held back so that Yuto could ask Nanahoshi out?” Kenta summarized.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Kenta chuckled. It was just like his brother to do something like this. “So, are they out on this date right now?”

Wataru hummed. “Yuto decided to take her to karaoke.”

“Karaoke, huh?”

“Yeah, they should be done by now,” Wataru informed him. “If I’m right, they should we walking back by the children’s park not too far from the sharehouse.”

“Alright, thanks for the information,” Kenta said. “I’ll contact you when I’m done.”

He hung up on his brother before turning his head. “Nayuta.”

The vocalist was busy doing chin-ups on the ground, his cat purring around his feet. Despite his nonchalant look, Kenta knew better than anyone else it was nothing but a façade, and that Nayuta had been listening in all this time.

It was one of the reasons he’d silently put his phone on speaker too.

“You heard that, didn’t you?” Kenta prodded.

“Heard what?” Nayuta shot back.

“It seems Goryo finally asked Nanahoshi Ren out,” Kenta spelled out, despite knowing that Nayuta was well aware. After all, he listened into the call. “They’re out together right now.”

Nayuta didn’t answer, just grunting in response. However, Kenta noticed that his chin-ups were more aggressive. A sly idea formed in the redhead’s mind, and he decided to tease Nayuta for a bit.

“He’s taken her out to karaoke,” Kenta continued to wipe down the table as if he was going about his regular day. “I hear she loves karaoke. Wataru told me that Goryo discovered her when they went to karaoke too, so I suppose there’s more sentimental attachment there.”

Nayuta refused to acknowledge him, but the slightly louder grunts weren’t unnoticed by Kenta.

“Goryo probably knows just what she wants to sing too, considering how long they’ve known each other,” Kenta continued. “I hear from Wataru she likes the Sentai series, and they came upon her singing their songs. Did you know that? She’ll probably sing it on her date with Goryo.”

Nayuta continued to ignore him, proceeding with his workout. Kenta eventually tired and gave a big sigh. While he enjoyed making fun of Nayuta, if what Wataru said was true, he’d soon miss his chance.

“Nayuta,” he said, leaving the rag on the table. “This is serious.”

Nayuta stopped at that point. “What’s the problem?”

“The problem is you’re lying to yourself now, Nayuta,” Kenta told him. “You know you’re bothered by the fact that Goryo and Nanahoshi are out together right now.”

Nayuta huffed. “I don’t care about that,” he said. “My music doesn’t need such distractions.”

“Ah, but you _do_ care about them,” Kenta pointed out. “At least, you care about Nanahoshi Ren.”

Nayuta looked at him with an accusatory glare, but sadly Kenta was used to him and his antics. “It’s no secret that you’ve been obsessed with Nanahoshi since Argonavis first opened for us,” Kenta continued. “And I know that obsession has grown since you two reached a mutual…something…at our battle of the bands. Since then, you’ve gone above and beyond getting her to stand on the same stage as you, and I know its not just because you respect her as a vocalist.”

“So, what are you saying?” Nayuta asked.

“I’m saying that you need to clear up your feelings, because your jealousy over Goryo will end up impacting your performance.”

Nayuta refused to look at him, just sitting and stewing in his own anger.

“All I’m saying is, if Nanahoshi really does decide to go out with Goryo, you two can’t continue your trysts anymore,” Kenta stated. “If she chooses Goryo, you’ll have to maintain your distance. Do you want that?”

Kenta moved towards the door, grabbing his jacket and making to leave. “Just think about the implications of what would happen if Nanahoshi really chose Goryo over you.”

He then left the apartment for his meeting with his brother, leaving an angry Nayuta stewing in his own rage.

***

Images swirled in Nayuta’s head, of Ren laughing with Goryo, of Ren singing with the same fervour as she always did. He thought of her smile, not directed towards him, but towards Goryo instead.

He clenched his teeth.

His emotions certainly weren’t helped by the fact that Kenta had seen entirely through him.

He was right, he was obsessed with Nanahoshi Ren. But his obsession was different in nature to their other relationship, right?

_What are you afraid of, Nayuta?_

He thought about her once more, and how intimate they’d gotten over the past few months. Even when they hadn’t met for a while, her scent and feel lingered in his mind, almost as if she were right there in his arms.

He sighed. Perhaps Kenta was right. This was way beyond his normal obsession.

_But…what if something went wrong?_

Music never betrayed anyone. Humans betrayed each other constantly.

_Could he risk it?_

He thought back to Ren again. Could he risk it, if it was Ren?

Sighing, he pulled himself to his feet and grabbed his jacket. “Sorry, Nyanko,” he told the white cat. “I’ll be back soon.”

Saying so, he rushed out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

She was still coming down from her laughing high as Yuto led her back the way they came.

He had given her free reign to just go insane and she’d sung her heart out. While she loved singing, what made her evening better was when Yuto joined her as well.

It was truly fun getting to sing with him.

He’d also been responsible enough to not let her overdo it and stop the singing at an appropriate time, and then he’d gone ahead to buy them both hot tea for their throats. When she’d questioned him about it, he revealed that it was Wataru’s instructions on how to make sure she wouldn’t go overboard.

She soon realized that she’d hardly hung out with Yuto outside of the context of the band. Every time they’d been even remotely alone, they’d been in the practice room, so all of their talk had been related to music.

Yet, here they were, talking about non-band stuff, and she loved just how well they could keep up a conversation outside of Argonavis. She especially found Yuto’s love of local history fascinating.

A small part of her thought that she could really get used to this.

Towards the end of their date, Yuto offered to walk them both back (since they obviously lived in the same sharehouse). He also decided on a little detour, taking them towards the children’s park instead.

She leaned on the railing, watching the see-saws and swings lying limp and lifeless in the dark. “I have a good memory about the swings,” Ren told him. “As a child, I’d always play on the swings at the park on the way back from school.”

“With your friends?” Yuto asked.

“Friends?” Ren asked. “I always did it by myself.”

 _Ren don’t make me feel sorry for you like this…_ Yuto had a sudden flashback to when they went for hanami, and Rio had pointed out that you could rent a Genghis Khan set for just one person.

He leaned against the railing at her side. “It’s incredibly quiet, huh?” he stated.

“I find it to be quite peaceful,” she nodded.

He hummed in agreement. “Hey, Yuto?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Fire away.”

“Why did you say this was a date?”

Yuto smiled softly. “Because it was my chance to finally hang out with you alone,” he admitted.

“What do you mean?”

The brunette chuckled. “Well, Wataru did tell me you were quite dense,” he said, smiling at the offended face she made. “But I’ve never really had the chance to properly ask you out, which is strange because we’ve known each other for so many months now.”

“Meaning?”

He turned to her, watching her big amethyst eyes swirling in confusion. “I’ve been waiting for this date for way too long now.”

“Huh?”

“Perhaps I really do need to spell it out,” he sighed. “Ren, I like you.”

Her eyes widened at his nonchalant confession. “Y-you do?”

He nodded. “H-how long?”

“I don’t know. I know I was captivated by your voice the first time I heard you sing way back then. I rationalized it as me wanting you as our band’s vocalist, but I think there was more to it. Your voice moved me, but when I met you…”

Ren’s mind was currently in overdrive. While she was aware of Yuto’s feelings for her from Wataru, it was different hearing straight from him.

And also…there was something in his confession, with the way he laid out the events. Somehow…it reminded her of her own feelings for Nayuta.

“You’re more than just Argonavis’s vocalist to me, Ren,” Yuto continued. “You’re more than just a friend. I-I want us to be closer.”

“Well, isn’t that just sweet?”

The two whipped around to find a certain silver-haired man standing near them, hands in his black jacket pockets and his glare even more piercing than usual.

“N-Nayuta-kun?!” Ren could swear her heart had just stopped.

“So, you finally got off your ass, huh?” Yuto’s voice was full of spite.

Nayuta said nothing to Yuto, his eyes instead falling to the lack of distance between the two of them. His auburn eyes moved up a little to the railing, where it rested on Yuto’s hand on Ren’s.

“What are you here for, anyway?” Yuto asked him.

“Why do you _think_ I’m here?” Nayuta shot him a deadly look.

Ren tore her eyes away from Nayuta for a second to cast a look at Yuto, only to see the brunette clenching his jaw with anger radiating from his body. She’d never seen Yuto this angry before, and honestly, it was slightly unsettling.

“You’re always doing just what you want, aren’t you?” Yuto told the other. “You can’t just barge in, especially when you’ve already had your chance.”

“Already had my chance?” Nayuta scoffed. “Says who?”

“Says _me_!” Yuto shot back.

Immediately, he pulled Ren closer to him, his arm around her protectively. It was almost as if he was shielding her from Nayuta. “Accept it, you lost the game,” he goaded the rival vocalist. “I won’t let you hurt Ren anymore. She’s too precious to me to let her go to someone who can’t even get a handle on their own feelings.”

_Wait, what?_

Did…did Yuto know about her and Nayuta somehow?

This was all giving her a headache now.

Nayuta fixed his gaze on Yuto. “She’s precious to you, huh?” he repeated his words.

He took a menacing step forward. “Well, she’s precious to me too.”

Ren’s reddening face surprisingly had a nice contrast to her wide eyes, staring at Nayuta in confusion. In her state, she didn’t notice that Yuto had dropped his arm from around her, freeing her movement.

“And that means anything, why?” Yuto asked. “Regardless, I was still the one who confessed first.”

“And that means anything, why?”

Yuto smirked. It was just like Nayuta to use his own words against him. He shrugged.

“Well, you’re right. It doesn’t matter which one of us got to Ren first, only what she wants from now on,” he stated.

Ren immediately felt two pairs of eyes staring at her, one red and one green.

“Ren,” her head whipped to the side to Yuto. “You’re free to choose. Either stay with me and we can continue our date or go with _him_.” Yuto’s pointer finger guided her line of sight straight to Nayuta.

The man in question didn’t reply, just crossing his arms. It was as if he had enough confidence in her that he didn’t need to worry at all.

It wasn’t helped by the fact that Yuto seemed confident too. The two men elected to stare at the bluenette, waiting for her answer, and she stared back, her heart beating ever faster and her face continuing to rise in temperature.

These two…had just asked her to choose. One of them had just confessed to her, the other she had been sneaking around with behind everyone’s backs.

If she had to think about it…

She’d just had one of the best evenings with Yuto. Apart from that, he was always kind to her. He’d been the first person in her life who saw her potential and had been able to get her to see it too. He was always kind, gentle, sweet…

But she’d never seen Yuto as anything but a friend.

Nayuta, on the other hand…

It was no secret that Nayuta had captivated her from the beginning. He’d always been able to elicit strange emotions in her, from raising her desire to stand on a larger stage, to the ones she experienced when they got intimate. The way she reacted to him…the things she felt for him…

She turned to Yuto. “Yuto, I’m sorry,” Ren said. “But…I do need to talk to Nayuta.”

He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. “So, its him, huh?”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way!” Ren began to panic. “You’re still important to me, as Argonavis’s leader and a friend and- “

Yuto cut her off mid-sentence. “Don’t worry about it,” he chuckled. “I expected this to happen.”

He looked away from her, turning to Nayuta instead. “Happy now? Can you finally see her feelings?” he asked the other.

Nayuta clenched his fists. “So, this whole time…”

“I wanted to draw you out,” Yuto confirmed his suspicions. “I wanted you to confront your feelings before you continued hurting Ren anymore.”

Nayuta gave a dark chuckle. “Goryo, you…”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Ren was more confused than ever, seeing as Yuto’s reaction was the complete opposite of what she originally thought.

Yuto sighed. “As long as your head is on straight, I won’t stop you,” he told Nayuta. “But if Ren cries again because of you, I won’t hold back.”

 _Fair enough,_ Nayuta thought. As long as he didn’t have to see Ren with him in this context anymore.

“Wait, WAIT!”

Ren’s raised voice caused both men to look at her quizzically.

“What the hell is going on?” she yelled, and the two were taken back by the mild swear, considering this was Ren in front of them.

Yuto sheepishly grinned. “Well, if I were to put it simply,” he paused for a moment. “I primarily asked you out to make Nayuta jealous.”

“To make him jealous?” Ren echoed, shock still in her voice.

“He’s the kind of guy who gets too comfortable, and so he would have kept taking you for granted unless he was forced to confront himself,” Yuto explained. “To be entirely honest, I wanted him to come out and stop us, just so he could actually see your feelings for once.”

He then began to step away. “Well, I’ll get going then. Enjoy you two!” he cheerfully exclaimed before leaving.

However, before the guitarist could fully leave, he paused and looked back, at the two of them getting closer, probably to talk. He sighed.

_The truth is, to be entirely honest, I wanted you to choose me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter, heh heh. I'll probably continue the night with Ren and Nayuta next chapter!
> 
> Thanks for reading this far!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nayuta and Ren finally get on the same page, while Wataru meets with Kenta.

Ren sighed heavily. “What in the world just happened?” she wondered wearily.

In the meantime, Nayuta gave a frustrated exhale and ran a hand through his hair. “This really isn’t easy in the slightest…”

“Nayuta-kun?”

He turned to her. “Hm?”

“Why are you here?”

Nayuta took a deep breath. “I suppose…” he began in a low voice. “I just couldn’t stand the thought of you with Goryo any longer.”

“W-what do you mean?”

He huffed. “Are you really going to make me spell it out for you?”

Somehow scrounging up the confidence from somewhere, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. “I like you.”

It was honestly embarrassing how all it took for her face to entirely go as red as Wataru’s hair. On one hand, it was like her dreams were coming true. On the other, this was happening _right now_!

“U-um…” she began, unable to look him in the eyes.

Nayuta gave his signature “tch,” before turning away, but even she couldn’t mistake the light blush on his cheeks. Even in the darkness, any color on his face stood out. “This really isn’t easy…” he repeated.

“N-Nayuta-kun?”

He raised his eyes to look back at her.

“It makes me really happy to hear you say that.”

Something stirred inside Nayuta when he saw Ren looking down with a smile on her face. _So, Goryo could see this side of her all this time…_

“But can I ask, why now?”

“Hah?”

“W-we’ve been together so many times, but you never said anything even once.” Her smile slowly began to drop. “I-I thought you thought of me as nothing.”

“That’s absurd,” Nayuta quickly cut her off.

He leaned in until their faces were just a few inches apart, causing her heart to start really beating. “I don’t do things like that with just anyone,” he told her. “I only do them with you.”

“Eh?”

“But let’s talk about you, shall we?” Nayuta was beginning to get pissed the more he thought about it. “What’s with you sneaking around behind my back?”

“H-huh?” Ren’s head started spinning, primarily because of the closeness between them, but also because of the questions Nayuta was asking.

“Also, what’s with you always jumping to conclusions?” Nayuta continued, his voice littered with irritation. “Thinking I don’t care about you just because I never said anything? Tch!”

He then sighed. “But, I suppose that’s partly my fault too.” He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ren’s eyes widened. _Was Nayuta…apologizing?_

“Nayuta-kun!”

“Hm?”

“S-so does this mean you’d want to be closer than we were before?” Ren suggested.

He hummed a little. “Yeah, I suppose we can stop sneaking around,” he agreed.

To be honest, his heart hurt a little when he saw how Ren’s face lit up. Perhaps…he needed to get better at this emotion thing, if only for her.

His next thoughts were cut off when Ren flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his body. He let out a breath and let his first instincts take over, which involved letting her rest her head on his chest and placing a hand on the back of her head. As he stroked her head, he let his fingers get tangled in her long messy hair.

He sighed. “I can’t do much,” he admitted soberly. “Sorry.”

Ren shook her head. “Not like that,” she said.

“Hm?”

“You still came,” she said. “You still said that you liked me. That’s enough for me.”

Nayuta opted to not say anything, instead just pressing his lips to the top of her head. Perhaps Goryo was right…maybe he really didn’t deserve Ren.

But still, now that he had her, just like his stages, he had no intention of letting her go.

***

“I’m curious,” Kenta spoke up, holding out the cup of hot chocolate. “Was it your idea to set Yuto and Nanahoshi up?”

“Thanks,” Wataru said quickly, taking the cup. “Honestly, it wasn’t. Yuto asked her out by himself.”

“Interesting,” the elder smirked.

Wataru grinned softly. “But I will admit it was my idea to use their date to draw Asahi Nayuta out.”

“Why so?”

“It was the only way to get him to do something, something that clear things up for Ren too.”

“Oh?”

“You see, Yuto overheard Ren talking to us. He told me later he went to see Nayuta and apparently he made zero progress.”

Kenta raised an eyebrow. “Yuto went to see Nayuta?” he repeated.

Wataru nodded. “Luckily, he came out unscathed, but Yuto was furious after that. Told me he was thinking of just asking Ren out just so she wouldn’t be anywhere near him again.”

“And then you stepped back and allowed him to ask her out, didn’t you?” Kenta surmised.

Wataru nodded. “He acted on his own then, but I then convinced him that Nayuta deserved another chance to confront his feelings.”

“Didn’t know you held him in such high regard.”

Wataru furrowed his brows. “I don’t,” he clarified. “I did it for Ren.”

“For Nanahoshi?”

“Hm,” Wataru nodded. “While she is quite naïve at times, I had trouble believing her feelings were entirely one sided, especially after talking to you, nii-san.”

Kenta hummed. “You’re right there, at least,” he agreed. “Nayuta doesn’t say much, but his feelings are always true, whether it comes to music or otherwise.”

“I expected that,” Wataru said, sipping from his cup. “Convincing Yuto to draw Nayuta out was the hard part though.”

“How so?”

“Because Yuto genuinely likes Ren.”

Kenta pushed his glasses up his nose as they seemed to be sliding down. “I see,” he said. “Then why did he agree to it?”

“Precisely because of that,” the younger clarified. “Yuto likes Ren, so he puts her happiness above everything.”

“And what’s your take on that?”

“Mine?”

Kenta nodded. “You were unable to support your friends, so I imagine it must be tough.”

Wataru sighed. “I won’t say it was easy,” he agreed. “But, its practically an open secret that Ren needs Nayuta. While she does need us too, he makes her a better singer, makes her dream bigger, and consequently allows us to dream with her too.”

“But you don’t like it, do you?” Kenta asked.

“Not entirely, no,” Wataru replied. “After all, a friend suffered so long because of his immaturity. If it were me, I’d have supported Yu.”

He put his head down. “I’m a terrible friend, nii-san.”

“Not at all,” Kenta assured him. “I’d say Yuto is lucky to have you as his friend. Both of them are, actually.”

Wataru didn’t reply to that, just looking over into the empty street. “You think he’ll actually show up?”

Kenta nodded. “Of course,” he shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile marring his face. “He can’t be stopped now, after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conspiring brothers always conspiring behind everyone else's backs.
> 
> Now that I've managed to bring the story to the point I wanted, I'll probably take a quick break for college and to work on other stuff. Expect updates to slow for the moment, at least for the next two weeks, after which I'll have enough time to pump out more chapters quickly!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Yuto reconcile and she finally meets Gyroaxia.

When Ren showed up at the practice studio the next morning, much to her horror, she was greeted by Yuto and Wataru prepping their instruments.

“Yo!” Yuto greeted enthusiastically.

But all Ren could manage was a squeak before slamming the room door and hiding behind the wall.

Yuto turned quizzically to the redhead. “Was it something I said?” he asked.

“Yu,” Wataru sighed. “Did you do something last night?”

“Hey, why’s it only me?!” the guitarist exclaimed.

The door opened once more as Rio and Banri stepped through.

“Did something happen?” Rio asked the moment he entered the room.

“W-why do you ask?” Yuto asked.

“Because Ren-kun’s hiding right next to the door outside,” Banri pointed over his shoulder.

Yuto sighed, causing Wataru to look at him. “You know, you should probably go talk to her,” he suggested.

After the previous night, when Yuto had returned to the sharehouse by himself, he had found nobody but Wataru, who talked him into spilling all the details. It had ended with Yuto begrudgingly admitting that Wataru was right and Nayuta did eventually show up, but also that he really didn’t like it. Wataru had urged him to go to bed and that he’d wait up for Ren like he usually did.

Hence, Wataru was the only one who actually knew that Ren had rejected Yuto. He surmised her avoidance right now had something to do with that.

Yuto nodded, putting his guitar down. “You guys carry on,” he told Rio and Banri. “I’ll go and talk to Ren.”

“Don’t go overboard or you’ll scare her away!” Wataru advised.

“What is she, a stray puppy?” Yuto scoffed.

The leader opened the door silently and looked to the side, only to see Ren plastered to the wall, her eyes tightly closed.

“You know I can still see you, right?” he sighed.

She opened her eyes to find Yuto standing before her, arms crossed over his chest. “Y-Yuto…” she trailed off.

He released a breath. “Look, if this is about last night, then I don’t have any hard feelings about it,” he told her.

Her head finally whipped up. “Y-you’re not mad?”

He flashed her his signature grin. “Not at all!” he exclaimed. “I’m happy for you. It doesn’t change anything!”

She heaved a relieved sigh. “T-that’s good,” she gave a small laugh. “I thought you would dislike me.”

“Why would I ever dislike you?”

She gulped slightly, as the look he gave her seemed completely serious. It was the same look he gave her the previous night.

She coughed lightly to distract from the fact that the memory had made her cheeks go light pink. “S-so you’re alright with me and Nayuta-kun?”

Yuto nodded. “As long as you’re happy, the rest of us will always support you. You’re Argonavis’s precious vocalist, after all.”

She smiled, the weight pressing down on her heart slowly ebbing away. “Thanks, Yuto.”

He smiled back at her. “Well, shall we go back and start practice?” he asked her, placing his hand on the door handle. “I don’t want Banri to complain again about us wasting money.”

She nodded. “Sure!”

***

She took a deep breath before knocking on the door to the practice studio.

Nayuta hadn’t had any classes today (much to her sorrow) but he had asked her to come by Gyroaxia’s private practice room afterwards. What he planned to do, he didn’t tell, since he had communicated the idea through short texts.

Hence Ren found herself here, in front of the door with the band’s name written on it, music barely audible from the other side.

The door suddenly clicked open and she found herself standing in front of Satozuka Kenta, Gyroaxia’s guitarist.

“Um…hi,” she sheepishly greeted.

“Hello, Nanahoshi,” he greeted. “Come in.”

He stepped aside to let her through. Once he closed the door behind her, she led her inside the room, to where Gyroaxia’s other members were practicing intently. However, once her presence became known, the other three stopped their practice and turned to her. Her shyness at suddenly becoming the center of attention made her pause in her tracks, but she was encouraged by Kenta’s kind hand on her back.

“Don’t be afraid of them, they don’t mean any harm,” he told her, stepping away from her. “Nayuta’s gone to the bathroom. I’ll go inform him you’ve arrived.”

She could only nod, although a part of her wanted to reach out and prevent him from leaving, especially with the looks the others were shooting her.

She recognized them, but other than Nayuta and Kenta, due to him being Wataru’s brother, she knew none of the others. She knew of them, due to her being a fan for a while before they ever met. But still, as Kenta vanished somewhere, it dawned on her that she was alone in a room with unknown men.

The dark-haired guitarist cast her a look. “You’re Argonavis’s vocalist, aren’t you?” he asked. “And now, his girlfriend?” he asked in a more disapproving tone.

“Y-yes,” she stammered. “I’m Nanahoshi Ren.”

He gave her an acknowledging nod. “Misono Reon.”

“Oh!” the bassist exclaimed when he looked at her. “You’re good! I feel good space energy from you~”

“Um, t-thank you…?”

“Ryo-chin~,” the drummer stood up and came over to her. “You can’t just say random things that ladies will misunderstand.” He quickly made his way over to her and took her hand. “I’m Sakaigawa Miyuki,” he introduced himself. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

The sudden closeness made the heat rise to her face and Ren suddenly found herself losing her voice. “I-I….”

A firm hand on her shoulder brought her out of her trance, and she turned her head to see Nayuta standing menacingly behind her and giving a literal death glare to his drummer.

“Sakaigawa,” he said softly in a voice that made it clear he was really holding back. “Don’t push your luck.”

The blonde drummer drew back, putting his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright, I got it. I won’t go near her anymore.”

“You better not.”

As Miyuki backed away and the bassist draped himself over his shoulders, goading him for his failed attempt, Nayuta sighed and turned to the redhead standing beside him and watching this unfold. “This is why you shouldn’t have left her alone,” he grumbled.

“I apologize,” Kenta said at once. “I won’t leave her side in your absence anymore.”

Nayuta scoffed at his bandmate’s nonchalant answer before sending a glare around the others.

Reon shrugged under Nayuta’s glare. “I won’t do anything, so don’t worry,” he assured the vocalist. “Besides, I’m not even interested in her.”

Ryo was unaffected, choosing instead to continue troubling Miyuki, who visibly shrank back under the vocalist’s look.

Nayuta grabbed Ren’s hand. “We’re going,” he told her before leading her out of the room.

Reon watched after the two vocalists. “So…I guess practice is over?” he asked.

Kenta nodded. “We’ll pick it up again tomorrow.”

Ryo waved. “Bye bye!” he called out, not caring whether or not Ren heard him. “Come again soon!!”

Miyuki sighed. “I don’t think she can hear you…”

***

Nayuta seemed more irritable as usual, making Ren worry as he didn’t say a single word until they were out of the building.

Was he really mad? Could it be because of what happened in the studio?

“Um,” she softly said, trying to get his attention. “If this was about what happened back then, I-I wasn’t trying to- “

She was cut off when he suddenly turned her and placed his lips on hers.

And as usual, she melted into it at once, going along with it until he finally separated them, heaving a deep breath.

“N-Nayuta-kun?”

“That’s much better,” Nayuta said, running a hand through his hair. “I really needed that.”

“What?”

He looked at her, with big amethyst eyes staring at him with confusion. “It was a long day,” he explained, rubbing the back of his head. “Misono was more problematic than usual and I was on the end of my tether.”

_So, he was really mad?_

“But now that you’re here I feel much better.”

Ren had to admit, that made her feel quite happy. But then he cast his eyes on her and she shrunk under his glare.

He held his pointer finger up to her forehead. “And you,” he scolded. “Be more careful! What would you have done if Satozuka or I hadn’t intervened? You should be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Okay~” she squeaked.

He sighed heavily, pulling away. “This is why I can’t leave you alone,” he huffed.

She looked down for a moment. “Nayuta-kun?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you ask me to meet you here?”

“Why?” he repeated her question back to her. “Well, because I wanted to see you.”

She couldn’t stop herself from smiling, so she simply looked down. For some reason Nayuta seemed very comfortable with saying such things, while other times he wouldn’t say a word.

“There…there was an interesting café I saw on the way here!” she said. “Can we go there?”

He shrugged. “Whatever.”

As the two made their way to the café Ren had seen, Nayuta slipped his hand into hers, holding her small hand firmly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren receives a proposal from Nayuta that Banri later sheds some light on.

Since there was no way Master could have followed the five to Tokyo, they instantly felt a distinct lack of Submariner in their early days. The live café had become a part of Argonavis, seeing as it was where the band got their start. And that was not to mention the quiet atmosphere and calming feeling that made it a good place to sit together and create music together, and then they also had Master dote on them.

So, when the five came to Tokyo, the search was immediately on for a replacement. Wataru and Rio had tried to write in the sharehouse, but then they complained that the place they ate their meals and slept wasn’t a good place to concentrate, so the group looked outwards.

They eventually came across a quaint little café located in the Department of Law at the University they had all transferred to. It was much smaller than the other, large named places in the other departments, but that was what they all liked. It was no live house, so they didn’t get the chance to play their instruments, but it was small, cozy and quiet, since most of the students gravitated towards the larger cafes.

Argonavis liked this place. They had their space to work on their stuff, but it was a different atmosphere to the sharehouse. Along with that, the group had befriended the owners of the small local café, and Rio had even started working here part time.

It was really the closest they could get to Submariner here in Tokyo.

On a sunny afternoon, Ren made her way over to the café as usual. Opening the door and hearing the pleasant chime, she quickly greeted Rio, who was on duty today. She also found Wataru on one of the tables, papers strewn about. He had a notebook open in front of him and was mindlessly scribbling before he recognized her come in.

“Writing lyrics again?” Ren asked, pulling up a chair opposite the redhead.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling wearily at her. “Rio came up with a new score.”

At the moment, Rio came up to their table and placed a cup of Wataru’s favorite lemon coffee, causing Ren’s nose to wrinkle and Wataru to laugh. She then gave Rio her own order and he left to go get it.

“So, what type of lyrics are you writing?” she asked.

Wataru heaved a heavy sigh. “That’s the thing I’m struggling with,” he admitted. “I’ve tried so many themes and concepts, but nothing sticks!”

She reached out for his notebook and he removed his arm from it, allowing her to take it and scan the contents. She found lots of different themes written down and crossed out, and some lyrics thrown here and there.

A thought then struck her. “Actually,” she piped up. “Can I help you write?”

“Hm?” Wataru asked tiredly, not exactly registering her request entirely.

“I want to try writing lyrics again!” Ren insisted. “I had fun and learned a lot while writing Starry Line and Pray. I want to learn more and become better at writing!”

“That’s a good idea,” Rio suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling the two. He nonchalantly placed her drink in front of her. “Writing lyrics is a good skill to develop for a vocalist,” he reasoned. “This will be good for you, Nanahoshi.”

Wataru nodded. “Thanks for the help.”

The two began to brainstorm ideas, however they kept finding pitfalls or roadblocks one after the other. It also probably didn’t help that Wataru was unwilling to budge on anything less than perfection for Rio’s score, and that Ren was still a bit naïve and thus limited in her themes.

Eventually Wataru sighed. “We’re getting nowhere like this,” he sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes.

She bowed apologetically. “I’m so sorry, Wataru! I wanted to be of help!”

“It’s not your fault, so don’t worry about it,” he assured her quickly. “Damn it, I feel blocked.”

“How can you get over it?”

“I generally listen to other music or take a break,” Wataru said. “But the thing is this time I’m having trouble even starting. For that I don’t think taking a break is going to help.”

“Matoba, if you just write, you should be able to figure something out,” Rio commented.

“You’re a genius, so you don’t get a say in this,” Wataru shot back.

“Would it help if someone else who was good at writing lyrics was here?” Ren questioned.

“Perhaps,” Wataru sighed. “I don’t know.”

Almost as if it was fate, the door of the café opened, and who else were to walk in rather than Asahi Nayuta himself.

“Oh, Nayuta-kun!” Ren eagerly waved him over.

Wataru stared at her in shock. “Are you a magician?”

Rio gave Nayuta a gruff greeting as the white-haired vocalist moved to Ren’s side. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing Ren and Wataru’s exasperated expressions.

“As you can see, we’re a bit stuck,” Wataru pointed out, gesturing to the mess.

“Nayuta-kun, you write and compose all your songs, right?” Ren eagerly asked. “How do you manage to come up with lyrics?”

“Huh? I just write,” he replied simply.

Wataru sighed. “What else did I expect?” he complained. “Nayuta’s a genius too…”

“Don’t complain when _you_ asked for _my_ help.”

“Nayuta-kun!” Ren continued, oblivious to the tension in the air. “Do you have any tips for coming up themes or lyrics?”

 _Do it by yourself,_ would have been his usual response, but when he turned to Ren and was met with sparkling and eager eyes, he had to pause.

She was just too innocent like this and he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.

Instead, Nayuta simply let out a sigh. “Can I see the score first?” he asked, defeated.

Ren was all too happy to allow Nayuta to pull up a chair next to her and look over Rio’s score. The vocalist studied the sheet music for a moment before turning to Ren.

“I can see where the problem is,” he said. “First, you’ll have to overcome this part…”

Ren eagerly soaked in everything, and for once, the white-haired vocalist took the time to patiently explain his process.

On the side, Wataru shared a look with Rio, both stunned by Nayuta’s actions. But then, it dawned on them that Ren had all of them wrapped around her finger, and now Nayuta was experiencing the same, albeit on a different level. The two shared a quick chuckle before Wataru turned back, hoping that something would spark his imagination once again.

***

 _Nayuta-kun missed class, huh?_ Ren thought somberly.

She had to admit, she was feeling a bit down. Despite being in the same department, she and Nayuta only shared a handful of classes. Due to the lack of shared classes and his tendency to practice till late, not to mention her own practices, it wasn’t entirely easy to spend time with Nayuta. So, she really cherished the little time they had together.

“You missed a lot,” she told him over the phone.

“I’m not worried,” he replied casually. “You took notes, didn’t you?”

“Yeah…” He knew her all too well.

“So, bring a copy by my apartment after your practice,” Nayuta told her. “I’ll send you the address.”

 _After practice?_ Her heart skipped a beat. The thought hadn’t yet crossed her mind. The pieces began to fall into place.

They would both be free after practice! It was time to spend together! Maybe after dropping off the notes she could convince him to have dinner together? Maybe a movie? Her mind was rife with all the possibilities.

It made her giggle and her heightened mood stayed even through her practice with Argonavis. The guys did notice, but knowing Ren, chose to ignore it until she specifically spoke out. She didn’t even register anything until Yuto specifically spoke to her.

“Ren, would you like to come too?” Yuto directed the question towards her.

She sheepishly grinned. “Sorry, Yuto. But I have to go Nayuta-kun’s apartment after practice. Perhaps next time.”

She looked around at the wide-eyed stares her bandmates were giving her, as if she had said something completely out of the ordinary. “What? Was it something I said?”

“So, it’s finally come to this, huh?” Rio commented.

Wataru sighed. “But then again, this is Ren we’re talking about.”

“Does she even know what might be in store for her?” Banri wondered.

“This _is_ Ren, so I doubt,” Yuto sighed.

“What are you all even talking about?” Ren asked. “Nayuta-kun just asked me to drop off a copy of the notes in the lecture he missed, and then to hang out!”

“That last part is what we’re getting at,” Yuto pointed out.

“Why? What’s wrong with hanging out?”

“Ren-kun,” Banri took the seat next to her. “Hanging out here means…” He leaned over and whispered something incoherent to the others into her ear.

While originally showing a curious face, as Banri continued to talk, her eyes widened, and jaw dropped. This was in addition to the red blush that almost comically went up from her neck to her face.

Once done, Banri sat back with a satisfied smile on his face. “And that’s what it means!” He then realized that Ren was red as a tomato and staring blankly into space. “Ren-kun?”

Ren said nothing, only staring blankly. Banri waved a hand in front of her face. “Ren-kun?”

“Well, Shiroishi, it looks like you finally broke her,” Rio commented.

“Banri,” Wataru gave an exasperated sigh. “Please avoid saying things that will cause our vocalist to go into shock.”

“I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?” the blonde defended himself.

“Not really…” Yuto admitted. “But still! If it puts Ren out of commission then we’re done for!”

While they were arguing amongst themselves, Wataru had gone over to Ren’s side. Tentatively, he placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to shake her out of her shock. “Ren?”

“EH?!”

Her exclamation was almost loud enough to shake the entire studio. Once the initial shock had passed, they found her looking around with panicked eyes.

“P-people r-really do t-those kinds of things?” she stammered.

“You really didn’t know?” Banri asked, a little flabbergasted. “Sex is normal though in a relationship.”

At how the word made her lose her voice once more, Banri was bombarded with angry whispers from the rest, telling him to shut up and not make it worse. The word sent Ren into deeper flushes, and she somehow went even redder than she was before.

“What’s the problem!” Banri asked. “It’s not like you and Nayuta-kun are entirely innocent, you know?”

His justification made Ren put her legs on the chair and pull her knees up to her face, still staring into space.

“It seems you lack any sense of tact, Shiroishi,” Rio pointed out.

Yuto took a look at Ren and sighed when he realized that this practice session wouldn’t go anywhere anymore. “Wataru,” he told the redhead, “can you take Ren back? Banri, Rio and I will continue to practice.”

“Sure,” Wataru agreed at once. “I’ll come back and help you guys finish later.”

“Take care of her, alright?” Yuto said, casting a slightly worried look at her. Regardless of any feelings he personally had, it was no secret that all of Argonavis was incredibly fond of Ren. He hoped she would be able to recover, if only a bit so she wouldn’t go around looking like a fresh beet.

Wataru hummed in agreement and somehow managed to pry Ren off the chair she had almost glued herself to. When the redhead managed to finally lead her outside, he heard a small sound coming from her, sounding like his name.

“Yeah?” he asked.

Her head was turned away and a deep blush still adorned her cheeks. _Cute_ , he thought on the side before shaking his head.

“W-was Banri right?” she asked. “I-is it really important in relationships?”

Wataru let out a breath. So…she was worried about this…

“Listen, everyone moves at their own pace,” he told her kindly. “Banri was just mouthing off like he always does, but you don’t have to go ahead with anything you don’t want to.”

She stayed silent for a moment, probably trying to calm herself down. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s get you back, shall we?” he offered. “You can rest for today.”

“Wataru?”

“Hm?”

“I-it’s nothing, forget it.”

He decided the best course of action would be to not press it any further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I said I was gonna take a quick break, but I had already written these scenes out and I had some time before I got back to my studies. So have an extra chapter!
> 
> Also my longest chapter yet!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren finally spends the night with Nayuta.

She had to admit she was slightly relieved when Nayuta answered the door dressed in his normal red shirt and black pants. “I have the notes you wanted!”

“Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let her in. He then shut the door behind her to prevent the cat from escaping.

As Ren stepped into Nayuta’s apartment, it dawned on her that this was the first time she was alone in a man-no, _Nayuta’s-_ house without anyone else. While she had visited him back in Sapporo, the context had been completely different, not to mention Kenta-san had been with her.

This…this was entirely new for her.

She placed a hand on her chest, hoping to still her beating heart, when Nayuta passed by her.

“You can leave the notes on the table,” he told her. “Sit on the couch. I’ll get you something to drink.”

“T-thanks…”

As he disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve the drinks, Ren lightly placed the folder on the table and loitered around the apartment. She made her way towards the couch and sat down, scanning the area for anything that could possibly settle her nerves.

It was then that a white cat with golden eyes jumped up onto the couch and stared at her. Instinctively, she held out her fingers, which the cat sniffed and then rubbed its head against her hand, purring softly.

A smile broke across her face. “Hello,” she softly cooed at the cat. “You’re Nayuta-kun’s cat, right? I’m Ren!” The cat mewed softly and continued to rub its head against her hand, and its purring increased when she began scratching it behind its ears.

“Nyankotarou likes you, huh?”

She looked up to find Nayuta standing with two cups in his hands. He held one out to her. “It’s Napolin,” he told her.

She took the cup with a thanks and took a sip while he slid into the seat next to her. At his appearance, the cat had jumped off the couch and trotted off to God knows where with its tail held high.

She looked down as she became increasingly aware of his presence. “W-would you like to take a look at the notes?” she stammered. “I-if anything needs explaining- “

“What’s wrong with you today?”

His question made her stop in her tracks. “W-wrong? N-nothing’s w-wrong at all!”

“I’d beg to differ,” he set his red eyes on her, making her squirm more than she already was. “You’re acting too awkwardly. You can’t even look me in the eye.”

“I can!” she exclaimed, raising her eyes to meet his. Sadly, upon meeting them, all sorts of warning signals flashed in her brain, causing her to lower them again lest she melt into a puddle right there and then.

He huffed at her actions. “If you’re uncomfortable around me, just say it,” he grumbled, about to get up and leave.

“No!” The fact that he could even suggest that was baffling for Ren, as she found herself grabbing his hand to stop him. “I-I’m not uncomfortable around you at all!”

He didn’t speak, just turning to look. He was most likely just waiting for an explanation. Her eyes lowered once more, falling on the couch.

“It’s just…Banri said…”

“Spit it out, what did he say?”

“He said that going to your house would lead to sex!”

Silence fell over the two of them as Nayuta could do nothing but stare in shock as Ren hid her overheated face in her hands. Eventually, she heard him speak.

“So, you don’t want to?”

“No!” she exclaimed from behind her hands. “I mean, I _do_ …that’s why…”

_That’s why I can’t look at you, because all I can think of is that stuff. That’s why I can’t hold eye contact, because I imagine you doing those things to me._

“That’s why you’re a mess, huh?”

She lightly squeaked. It was the truth, and now that it was out, she had no idea what to feel, or how he must be feeling.

She then felt two fingers slip into the gap between her face and palm and slowly pull it away from her face. As the light streamed back in, she raised her eyes to meet Nayuta, now much closer than he ever was before.

“Then let’s do it,” was his only response.

He lifted his finger to the side of her face and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. The simple gesture was enough for her to completely melt as he leaned closer.

His kiss was different from his usual, that was often rough and able to take her breath away. This one was slow yet passionate, much more passionate than their quick trysts in the shadows. Still, because it was him, it was enough to make her lose all control and melt into his embrace.

He broke away for a moment. “Tell me to stop and I’ll stop,” he told her, his gaze boring into her soul.

She shook her head. “Don’t stop.”

At Ren’s words, Nayuta pressed his lips to her once more and lifted her up, hooking her legs around his waist. Not breaking their kiss, he swiftly carried her to his bedroom and laid her on the bed.

To Ren, the emotions swirling in her just seemed to overflow. While previously any thought of sex would send her cowering, this was different. This was Nayuta, the person she was in love with. The connection that they shared ever since they first met felt amplified a million times over.

They slowly undressed each other, and all thoughts of her shabby attire went out the window. They took their time exploring each other’s bodies, seeing what made each other tick and what sounds they could elicit out of each other.

Nayuta seemed to know her better than she thought, as he seemed to be able to pinpoint exactly which points got her fired up, and with only a couple of tries. So much so that when he finally entered her, he had already brought her to the edge twice while she’d not been able to do the same for him even once.

Her mind had been so muddied throughout the entire thing, especially her own orgasm, that she had barely registered Nayuta calling her by her first name as he came.

It was only as they lay tangled in bed later that the thought fluttered across her mind once more.

“Nayuta-kun!”

“Hm?” he asked, intertwining their fingers even more under the covers.

“You called me Ren earlier, didn’t you?”

“Probably.”

“Can you call me that again?”

“Hah? Why?”

“I want you to call me Ren, normally too.”

“Tch,” was all she heard from him before his relenting sigh. “Fine…Ren…”

Her wide smile was all she could overtly show of her bubbling happiness. Well, that, and cuddling into his chest. As his fingers gently pushed her damp bangs away from her eyes, her eyelids fell, and she slowly dropped to sleep to the sound of Nayuta’s beating heart.

***

Nayuta awoke to a startled scream. Forcing his eyes open, he saw Ren sitting up, the blanket laying around her hips and her face buried in her hands.

“Hah? What’s wrong?”

“I-I just realized Banri was right!”

“Go back to sleep!”

She would get an absolute earful from him later for disturbing his restful sleep.

***

She apologized profusely to Wataru when she returned to the sharehouse, her mind full of dreaded thoughts of the boy waiting patiently for her to return well into the night.

The redhead brushed it off. “Don’t worry,” he grinned. “I expected you wouldn’t return so I didn’t stay up for you past the usual time.”

Ren bowed again. “I’m really sorry for causing you so much worry!”

“Hey, don’t mention it!” Wataru smiled kindly. “Luckily you’re back before the others realize.”

“No one’s awake yet?” Ren asked, a little surprised.

“Rio and Banri are.” She nodded, those two were always up quite early. “They went for a grocery run. Yuto’s…still asleep.”

She chuckled. Yuto always had a tendency to sleep in, just like her. “So, no one knows I didn’t exactly come back last night?” she suddenly realized.

He shrugged. “I didn’t feel it necessary to tell everyone,” he said. “After all, you can take care of yourself.” _I hope_ , he added silently in his head, since he was very aware of the trouble Ren could get herself into.

He put a finger to his lips, assuring her that he wouldn’t blab unless she wanted him to. “It’ll be our little secret.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I started off this story normally, this as well as some other scenes came to my mind. So I thought it would be a better idea to bump the rating up a bit more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuto reflects on his feelings for Ren, and Wataru makes a long overdue apology.

Yuto lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He didn’t know why, but he simply was unable to fall asleep.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that the love of his life was dating the one who had taken his friends and music from him.

Now, Yuto wasn’t one to hold grudges. He had made up with Kenta and Reon, and he’d found music again with Argonavis, and he’d even developed a begrudging respect for Nayuta after their talk at DesFes. The hurt from high school had been replaced by new hope, and that light had been shined on him by his friends.

But still, the memories never went away.

Perhaps that was why Ren’s love for Nayuta baffled him and made him uncomfortable.

He was also quite jealous, he would fully admit.

Sighing, he got up and picked up the guitar from the stand next to his bed. Being careful to be as quiet as possible, he slowly strummed the beginning bars of “Ryuuseiu,” and his heart began to ache.

This song had a really large place in his heart. It had been the song that had solidified his resolve to take Argonavis to the next level, the song that had convinced him to stay no matter how bad he was. It was also the song he had realized that he was in love with Ren.

He remembered when he had first heard her voice back in Hakodate. How he and Wataru had been talking about ships and desert travellers and discussing about finding the perfect voice for their band, someone who was serious about singing. He had left the room for a moment to get them some snacks, and his entire world had stopped when he heard the muffled voice from one of the other rooms.

He had thought what he had felt was the overwhelming excitement of finding his perfect desert traveller to recruit for their ship, but it had taken till they sang together on that crowded street for him to realize that he had fallen in love with Ren at first sight.

When Ren had turned to him, with her twinkling eyes and bright smile, and holding her hand up for a high five, Yuto had half a mind to just pull her to him and either hold her or kiss her, whichever one his brain could handle. However, he held himself back because of the crowd and also the realization that their friends were watching.

For the longest time, Yuto kept his feelings in check. Primarily because he didn’t want to cause a ruckus by confessing to Ren like this. And it worked, putting the focus on the band brought them here, to LR Fest and their major debut, an opportunity he never would have thought possible.

But now, Ren was with him, and it unsettled Yuto a lot. He worried deeply for her and whether he was treating her right, as before his crush she was his dear friend.

But if the way she was almost more determined during their practices, and the way her smiles seemed to shine even brighter were indicative, she was probably being treated well.

However, the way she smiled when she’d get a call from him tugged at his heart.

A large part of him would always wish that that smile was directed towards him instead.

A soft knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Setting his guitar aside, he moved to open the door to see a familiar redhead on the other side. “Wataru? Aren’t you asleep yet?”

The other grinned. “Not really, have an assignment to work on,” he replied. “But I heard you playing so I came to check up on you.”

“Sorry, was I too loud?” Yuto sheepishly asked.

Wataru shook his head. “On the contrary,” he grinned. “I think I’ve just gotten good at listening for your guitar.”

Yuto laughed slightly. Just like Wataru.

He stepped aside and let the other in. “So, what’s up?” he asked, closing the door behind them.

Wataru then sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, I wanted to apologize to you.”

“Why?”

“Because I had you set up your crush with the person you dislike.”

Yuto raised an eyebrow, leaning against the door. “Wataru, where is this coming from?”

Wataru sighed heavily. “I just feel really bad,” he admitted. “I’m your friend. I know about your feelings for Ren. I should have encouraged you and set the two of you up together, not roped you into getting Ren and Nayuta together instead.”

Yuto smiled. “It’s fine,” he assured. “I don’t mind at all!”

“But Yu!” Wataru protested. It was clear that the guilt had been laying heavily on his heart.

Yuto put his hand up, silencing his friend. “I really appreciate it, Wataru. That’s why you’re my best friend,” he grinned, flashing his smile. “I know you did it because you put Ren’s feelings first. I’d do the same.”

Wataru studied him as the brunette let out a small laugh. “Besides, I don’t think she’s ever seen me as anything but as a leader.”

Wataru sighed deeply. “Yu…” he trailed off.

Yuto ran a hand through his hair. “Regardless of my feelings, we put our friends first, don’t we?” he said. “She’s happy with him. That’s all I need.”

Wataru seemed to have accepted it, albeit reluctantly. “Well,” he said, sounding a bit down. “I should probably get going.”

Yuto hummed, stepping away from the door to let Wataru leave.

He moved to the door, about to leave, but paused. “Yu.”

“Hm?”

“You know that despite one’s actions, feelings don’t just change, right?”

“Goodnight, Wataru.”

Once he heard the soft click of the door closing, he fell back onto the bed with a sigh.

“Regardless of one’s actions, feelings don’t just change, huh?” he murmured into the air.

“Don’t I know it…”

***

Nayuta would never understand Ren’s fascination with hero shows. They were childish, uninteresting and not intellectually stimulating in the slightest. Yet, he would always be shot down when he communicated these to Ren, and she would always force him to watch it if only to “experience the magic for himself.”

She really had him wrapped around her finger, as he always relented and watched it with her as it made her happy.

He’d still complain extensively though.

Like right now, as Ren partly sat in his lap and he had his arms wrapped around her waist, he peered disapprovingly over her shoulder at the offending actors on the screen.

“I still don’t see what you like about this show,” he grumbled.

“Eh? You aren’t serious?” she exclaimed. “Can’t you feel the friendship between them? How strong their bonds are? And they use that to fight evil and save the world!”

He watched for a few more moments. _Nope, he didn’t see it._

“I can’t understand you,” he sighed. His gaze flickered across the human actors for a moment. “Unless your draw to these is them…” he suggested.

“It’s not!” she exclaimed. “Star Five is really a heart-warming story about friendship!”

“If you say so.”

Ren leaned back slightly against his chest. “Why, Nayuta-kun…” she said jokingly. “Are you jealous?”

“Jealous? Pah,” he grumbled into her shoulder. “Why should I be jealous? I already have you all to myself anyway.”

She had to admit, the way he talked against her skin sent shivers down her spine. And yet, it was quite warm…

Turning on her side, she snuggled into him further. It helped that he didn’t protest in the slightest and just allowed her to readjust herself.

It was warm, and comfortable, and she felt happier than ever before.

“Oi! Don’t fall asleep here!”

Nayuta’s protest fell on deaf ears as Ren was already in her perfect dream world, her chest rising and softly in tune to her heartbeat.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

He sighed. “At least change into something more comfortable before you fall asleep,” he lightly complained.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gyroaxia notices the changes in Nayuta

Nayuta bent slightly over the mic, breathing heavily.

“Alright,” he heard Kenta call. “That’s enough for today.”

Nayuta gave a small grunt of acknowledgement before moving to grab a bottle of water and a towel. As he moved to the edge of the studio to collect his belongings, Reon discreetly moved towards Kenta.

“Kenta-san.”

“Yes?” Kenta asked, looking up from his guitar.

“Is it just me, or is Nayuta getting better?” Reon asked. “I didn’t know whether I was imagining it or not and wanted another opinion to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.”

Kenta shook his head. “No, you’re not imagining it,” he assured. “Nayuta really is improving in his singing ability. Probably because he isn’t pushing himself so much anymore.”

“He’s also not that much of a dick anymore,” Reon pointed out. “I think I made a mistake earlier, but he let it slide.”

“Misono,” they suddenly heard Nayuta’s voice from the other side of the studio. “That mistake you made earlier? Make it again and you’ll pay for it.”

“Ugh,” Reon grimaced. “I take that back. He’s still a massive prick.”

“I actually think Reon is onto something,” Miyuki suddenly appeared behind them, startling the dark-haired guitarist. “Nayuta hasn’t been pushing himself so hard recently, and he’s been nicer to all of us too. I think he’s become more patient as well.”

Kenta smiled knowingly. “Well, he _is_ in love.”

Reon grumbled slightly. “Speaking of which, he’s been seeing that vocalist, hasn’t he?” he asked. “What does she even see in him?” Reon continued. “From what I can see, she’s the complete opposite of him. Not to mention…it’s _him_.”

Miyuki folded his arms across his chest. “I liked Nanahoshi Ren!” he proclaimed. “She seemed very sweet.”

“She had good energy!” Ryo appeared out of nowhere. “Her singing makes me so happy I want to take her back to my home planet to spread the happiness!”

“Don’t let Nayuta hear you say that,” Miyuki warned quickly, having faced the brunt of Nayuta’s protectiveness.

“Still,” Reon continued to complain, “she could do ten times better than him.”

Kenta stayed silent, watching his bandmates discuss among themselves. “Kenta-san, what do you think?” Reon directed the question to him.

“Hm?”

“Do you support someone like her being with a prick like him?”

Kenta gave a small chuckle, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I’ll support Nayuta like always,” he said. “Anything that makes Nayuta a better musician is alright in my books. Besides, I do think those two are made for each other.”

“Really?” Miyuki asked, surprised. “How come?”

“May I remind you of our battle of the bands?” Kenta gently reminded. “You all heard them sing together, and you felt those emotions, and their connection together.”

Ryo hummed happily. “That was truly passionate!”

“So, you think its fine for them to be together just because they sound good when they sing together?” Reon narrowed his eyes.

Kenta shook his head. “It’s not that simple, and you know it,” he said. “Nanahoshi has been good for Nayuta, in more ways than one. I feel like she might be the only other force comparable to him. Even if they weren’t involved, they need each other.”

Miyuki solemnly nodded. “I noticed that too,” he agreed.

Reon sighed, grumbling under his breath. “Why does _he_ get the cute girl…”

At that moment, the door to the studio opened and a familiar head of blueberry curls looked in.

“Hello…” Ren said, cautiously. “Nayuta-kun asked me to come by…”

Nayuta immediately stood up from his seat, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder. “I’ll be leaving first,” he told the others.

“Understood,” Kenta replied promptly, busying himself with putting his guitar away.

“Wait, already?” Ren piped up. “But shouldn’t…we at least greet your members…?”

Nayuta cut her off by grabbing her hand. “Ren, forget about those idiots.” Saying so, he dragged her away despite her protests.

“So…” Miyuki piped up after a few moments. “They’re on first name basis now.”

“Letting him leave first like that…” Reon trailed off. “You’re too lenient with him, Kenta-san.”

Kenta simply smiled and zipped up his guitar case. Before he could make to leave however, the door opened once more.

“Mashu-san,” Kenta simply greeted.

The older man studied the room with narrowed eyes. “Where’s Asahi?” he demanded.

“Practice is over,” Kenta informed. “Nayuta left first.”

“That’s unlike him.”

“Well, he did want to be with his girlfriend,” Miyuki shrugged.

“His...girlfriend?” Mashu asked. “I was not informed that Asahi was seeing anyone.”

“Well, he’s been seeing Nanahoshi,” Reon grumpily supplied.

Mashu’s eyes went wide behind his slim glasses. “Nanahoshi?” he repeated. “Do you mean Nanahoshi Ren? The vocalist of Argonavis?” He made his disapproval obvious.

Kenta sent a glare to the others, telling them to stay silent before turning to Mashu. “Our contract does not forbid us from finding partners,” he reminded the older man. “Nayuta has become better since they’ve been seeing each other. That is all that matters.”

“You seem awfully confident, Satozuka,” Mashu said.

Kenta picked up his own duffel bag, his stance saying that he wasn’t about to say any more.

“Good day, Mashu-san.”

Kenta walked past their manager and left the room, leaving Mashu alone with the rest of his bandmates. As the older man set his sly eyes on the rest of them, hoping to pick out more information, he found that they were loyal enough to Kenta that they all ducked their heads down, said their goodbyes and scuttled away.

Mashu removed his glasses, pressing the bridge of his eyebrows. If Kenta was like this, he knew very well that Nayuta would be even more closed off. It was clear to him that after his dealings with Argonavis, both of them were understandably more protective of the band, and their vocalist in particular.

While Kenta and Nayuta had eventually accepted that his decisions were made with higher orders, that didn’t stop Kenta from acting a bit standoffish around him and Nayuta from calling him a scumbag. Even after Argonavis had managed to perform at DesFes, Nayuta was less likely than ever to discuss the band or their vocalist anymore with the manager.

He sighed. Kenta was right, after all, that their contract did not forbid them from searching out romantic partners the way it would for idols. There was no scandal here, even if Nayuta were that close with Nanahoshi Ren.

However, he silently decided to keep a closer eye on the matter and left the room, not forgetting to turn the lights off and dousing the practice room in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had another chapter written out, but I felt like I needed a short filler chapter in between to space things out a bit. I took the opportunity to show more of Gyroaxia and how they're reacting to the NayuRen stuff. 
> 
> Also Mashu


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Ren's birthday, and Nayuta scrambles to get her a last minute present while she enjoys with her friends.

When Nayuta walked into the practice room, he found it strangely rife with activity. Even as he grunted his usual morning greeting and took his place, he could swear he felt the eyes of his band members on his back, as if waiting for some sort of reaction.

He sighed. He’d deal with them after practice.

“Nayuta.”

“Huh? Satozuka?” He raised his head to look at the guitarist. “What do you want?”

“Sorry to bother you, but this is kind of important,” Kenta informed. “I don’t have Nanahoshi Ren’s contact information, so is it possible for you to call and tell her to stop by the studio later today to collect her present?”

“Present?” Nayuta narrowed his eyes. _What was this guy planning?_

“Her birthday present, of course!” Miyuki supplied in the background.

_Birthday?_

Kenta observed how Nayuta had fallen into silence before making a guess. “Were…you not aware that it was Nanahoshi’s birthday today?” he slowly guessed.

Nayuta turned away, but his silence was enough to confirm his suspicions.

“Give us a minute,” Kenta told the others before dragging Nayuta outside.

Once out of earshot of the rest, he folded his arms across his chest as he waited for Nayuta’s next words.

“So…it’s her birthday today…” the silver-haired vocalist trailed off.

“Were you really not aware?” Kenta asked.

“She didn’t say anything,” Nayuta said. “I saw her last night. I saw her this morning. But she didn’t say anything…”

His mind went to that morning, when Ren had greeted him like usual and had left with a bright smile on her face as he sipped his morning coffee. Not once did she give any hint of such an important day…

“You prepared a gift?” he asked Kenta.

Kenta nodded. “Argonavis _did_ send a present when it was your birthday, so it felt appropriate to send one on their vocalist’s birthday too,” he explained. He then narrowed his eyes at the younger. “You haven’t prepared anything for her, I assume?”

“Hah? Why should I prepare anything?” he defensively asked. “You’re sending a present, right? We can just say it’s from all of Gyroaxia.”

“True, but now you’re dating her,” Kenta pointed out. “And need I remind you that even before you two were together, Nanahoshi did send you a personal present from her side on your birthday?”

Nayuta grunted. Of course he remembered it. Even if it was a simple card, he still kept it on his dresser, letting the handwritten words in her soft handwriting encourage him in the mornings.

Kenta observed the conflict of emotions that Nayuta was going through before making a decision. “Alright,” the redhead said. “Practice is cancelled today. You and I will be going down to Akihabara.”

“Oi!” Nayuta yelled. “You can’t just do whatever you want!”

“Technically, as your leader, I can,” Kenta pointed out, showing no signs of wavering under Nayuta’s furious gaze.

The two had an intense stare down for a few moments before Nayuta finally backed down. “Alright,” he sighed, “you win.”

“Perfect,” Kenta said, unfolding his arms. “I’ll go inform the others. In the meantime, could you pass on the message I had requested?”

“Whatever…”

***

“Alright!” Yuto exclaimed, bringing the tray with a delicious looking burger sitting on top. “This restaurant is probably the closest we’ll get to Lucky Pierrot here in Tokyo, but the only person who can accurately tell that is the birthday girl herself, Ren!”

“Goryo, are you a show announcer?” Rio commented, unimpressed.

Yuto ignored the jibes of his friend, placing the tray down in front of her. “Wataru’s getting our food,” he told the others. “For now, Ren gets to take the first bite!”

Ren sheepishly shook her head. “I can’t possibly eat before you guys…”

“Well, you don’t have to hold back on our account,” Wataru suddenly appeared with a tray loaded with burgers and fries.

They took seats and distributed the burgers amongst themselves. But before anyone of them ate, they stared intently as Ren lifted the appetizing burger to her lips.

“Hmm…”

“Well?” Banri urged. “What’s the verdict?”

“Delicious!” Her eyes shone. “But…”

“But what?” Yuto asked as her face fell.

“It’s still not as good as the one Rio makes…”

“Huh? Why?” Yuto asked, almost as if it were a personal rejection.

“Rio’s…burgers taste the same as the ones at LaPi.”

Rio looked way too pleased at her answer. “Of course,” he said. “I’m a genius after all.”

“Quit looking so pleased with yourself,” Wataru grumbled at him.

“So this place is a no-go too then?” Banri asked, slightly disappointed. “We even spent a lot trying to find a place that was a good dupe for LaPi!”

“All you did was Google for two hours…” Yuto pointed out.

“Exactly!” Banri exclaimed. “ _Two_ hours!”

As her friends got into another argument, she felt her phone vibrate, signalling a message. Upon removing it, Ren’s eyes widened a bit when she saw a message from Nayuta.

“Ren? Is something wrong?”

She looked up to see Yuto watching her, slightly worried. She quickly shook her head, hoping to reassure him. “Nope, not at all! I…just got a text from Nayuta-kun…”

“A text from him?” Yuto murmured. “What does it say?”

She quickly read over the text. “I-it seems the Gyroaxia members got me a present,” she told him. “Apparently Kenta-san wants me to come over to the studio later to pick it up.”

“They got you a present, huh?” Wataru commented. “Knowing my brother, he probably prepared it weeks in advance.”

“I’ll tell him I’ll come by in the evening,” Ren said, tapping away on the phone screen.

Yuto folded his arms across his chest. “This means he’ll be there, won’t he?” he gave a resigned sigh.

Ren’s eyes widened slightly, knowing exactly who her friend was referring to. However, her reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed by Wataru, who put the pieces together.

“You didn’t tell him it was your birthday, did you?” he guessed.

The blush on her face was enough to tell all of them what they’d feared.

Rio leaned forward slightly. “Is there a reason you kept it from him?” he wondered. “After all, wouldn’t you have wanted to spend the day with your boyfriend?”

“I was wondering that too,” Banri piped up.

Ren folded her hands in her lap. “I…I…didn’t want to disturb him…” she admitted. “He’s been busy lately and I didn’t want to drag him away from his music.”

A collective sigh went around the boys.

“Ren,” Yuto said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s your birthday. If any day is the one day you deserve to be spoiled, it’s today.”

“Not like you and Matoba don’t spoil her all the time,” Rio pointed out, receiving a glare in response.

Wataru smiled kindly at her. “It’ll be fine,” he assured. “I trust that my brother by now has realized and is making sure that Nayuta gets you a present at the least.”

Her face somehow went redder. “I…I couldn’t impose!”

“Well, let’s not worry about anyone else today!” Banri announced, getting up and holding out his cup of water. “It’s our precious Ren-kun’s birthday, so let’s make it one she won’t forget!”

***

“She’ll be there in the evening,” Nayuta said, pushing his phone into his pocket.

Kenta nodded. “Good,” he said. “Now tell her to come over to your place so she can get your present.”

Nayuta huffed, looking at the redhead as he bent over some matching couple bracelets hanging in a store. “I still don’t see why _I_ needed to come,” he complained. “You could just prepare a gift in my stead.”

“But Nanahoshi isn’t _my_ girlfriend now, is she?” Kenta said, not even looking back. “Although, she _is_ incredibly cute…”

“I dare you to finish that thought.”

Kenta chuckled, reaching out to pick out a bracelet and inspecting it. “Due to the nature of your relationship, it is imperative that her present comes from _you_ , Nayuta,” he explained. “You were already unaware of her birthday, and one way to make it up is to get a present filled with all your love.”

Nayuta scrunched his nose. “That sounds so strange coming from you,” he pointed out.

“Regardless, I hope you understand the importance of getting her a present on such a day,” Kenta continued. He then picked up a pair of bracelets intertwined with blue and red thread. “Do you think Nanahoshi will like couple bracelets?”

“Tch.” Nayuta turned away. “I don’t think she will.”

“Really?” Kenta asked, sounding surprised. “Most girls love couple items though.”

“Well, Ren isn’t most girls,” Nayuta grumbled. “Her head’s only full of those dumb Tokusatsu series and singing…and those burgers from Lucky Pierrot.” He raised his head. “Would it be possible to get her a burger from that place?”

Kenta stared at him like he had gone insane. “No…I don’t think you can…” he said slowly. “Besides, I think Argonavis has already taken her to a place for burgers.”

“They have?” This was the first Nayuta had heard of it.

Kenta nodded, gesturing to his phone, letting the other know that he was getting his information straight from the source. “So you better think of something else before we run out of time.”

“I know, I know!”

They walked down the crowded street, with Kenta pointing out various items and Nayuta instantly rejecting them. For him, he felt like the more items he was shown, the less clarity he had in what to pick for Ren. It also didn’t help that Kenta seemed to only be pinpointing things like jewellery and flowers, which made Nayuta internally cringe.

“I don’t see the problem,” Kenta said, holding up a brooch with a delicately crafted flower on it. “All the girls I went out with loved it when I gave them stuff like this.”

“Again, this is _Ren_ ,” Nayuta reminded. He then sighed. “This is a waste of time,” he complained, turning around. “I should probably just apologize and put up with another round of that show- “

He suddenly stopped, surprising Kenta. When the elder followed his line of sight, he found that they were right in front of an Animate. Realization set in when he saw just what was in the window on display.

“That…would work perfectly,” Kenta smiled.

***

She dropped by Gyroaxia’s studio as the setting sun painted the skies red and orange. It was pretty, she thought, a part of her wanting to show Nayuta. However, she quickly shook any thoughts of the vocalist out of her mind by reminding herself that he was incredibly busy and shouldn’t be disturbed.

She came to a warm greeting as the members present in the studio took turns wishing her a happy birthday. Reon had given her a warm acknowledging smile, Ryo had said something about filling the world with more energy and Miyuki had kept a safe distance from her, thanks to Nayuta’s glare.

_Speaking of Nayuta…_

She quickly scanned the room and her heart dropped when she noticed a distinct lack of the silver-haired man around.

“Looking for Nayuta?” Kenta asked.

She nodded, wondering if she really was such an open book that even Kenta was able to accurately pinpoint exactly what her thoughts were.

He grinned. “Nayuta left early to prepare your present,” he informed.

“My…present…?” _Oh God, had he missed out on practicing to prepare something for her?_

“Don’t fret, Nayuta needed an excuse to take a break,” Kenta assured. “He asked me to tell you to go to his apartment after this.”

“In the meantime, this is from us,” Reon told her, handing her a small rectangular box wrapped in red wrapping paper.

“We hope you’ll like it,” Kenta said.

She smiled widely. “I do! Thank you so much, guys!”

“No worries,” Reon kindly told her. “And,” he leaned a little closer, bringing his voice down to a whisper, “if that guy ever does something to you, don’t hesitate to come to us. I- _We_ ’ll handle him.”

“You’re too close,” Kenta curtly commented, pulling the dark-haired man back by the collar of his shirt. “And don’t use Nanahoshi to take your frustrations out on Nayuta.”

As Reon began to complain that despite his desires to punch Nayuta in the face, Ren would need to know she had their support, Kenta turned apologetically to her.

“You should go and see him,” he told her. “I’m sure Nayuta’s waiting for you.”

She smiled in gratitude and left, pushing the small gift into her bag. She’d wait to see what it was.

But right now, she had to admit she was looking forward to Nayuta’s gift.

***

“You’re here, great,” was his greeting when he opened the door.

“Pardon the intrusion,” she said softly as she entered the apartment she was beginning to become extremely familiar with.

He led her into his bedroom (another place she was becoming all too familiar with), telling her to make herself comfortable, helping her get her coat off. When she entered the bedroom and saw it looked the exact same as that morning, she had to admit she felt slightly regretful.

But then again, Nayuta wasn’t a person to set up a room romantically. It was a big thing that he had gotten her a present in the first place.

“I’ll admit I was surprised when Kenta-san told me you got me a present,” she said as he handed her a glass of juice. “I thought you had already decided to get me a gift with the rest of Gyroaxia.”

“That was the plan, originally,” he murmured. “But _that guy_ insisted that I get you one from my end.”

She ran her thumb along the rim of the glass, looking at the droplets condensing on the outside. “I-I’m actually fine!” she said. “I don’t need anything else. Just seeing you today is enough for me.”

Ren felt the weight dip as Nayuta sat on the bed next to her. Before she knew it, another wrapped parcel made its way into her view.

“This is from me,” she heard him say. When she raised her head to look at him, she saw his head turned away and a deep flush on his face. “I’m sorry I didn’t realize today was your birthday.”

She quickly shook her head. “N-not at all!” she exclaimed. “I was the one who left it out.”

“Why?”

He turned back to her, setting his questioning eyes on her. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

She turned back down, looking at the parcel in her hands. “I didn’t want to disturb you or make you lose your focus,” she said softly. “Your big live is in a few days, right? I didn’t want you to worry about me when you should be practicing.”

“You…”

She heard him sigh heavily. “Go ahead, open it.”

Ren decided to do just that, pulling apart the tape holding the ends of the wrapping paper together. Opening it, she found something that made her heart stop.

“Is this…”

“The limited-edition card collection from that show you like? Yeah.”

When she opened the parcel and dug in, she pulled out a good-sized card with a red superhero illustration on it.

“Red…”

Nayuta rubbed the back of his neck. “You have no idea how much I fought to get that,” he grumbled. “And it was the last card too, but I know you like him- “

He was cut short when he looked back at her to see tears pooling in her eyes. “H-hey, what’s wrong?” he slightly panicked. Had he somehow messed things up more than he already did?

“No,” she shook her head, smiling as she quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “It’s just…this is my first birthday receiving so many presents,” she explained. “All my life, the only people I got presents from were my parents. But today, I got so many presents from the people I love and spent time with my friends…I just feel…loved.”

Ren then felt the gift being removed from her hands. Gentle but firm fingers rested on her chin, turning it to face Nayuta. A mixture of emotions ran through his eyes, almost as if he was deciding between happiness, pity or relief. He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers for a moment, and she closed her eyes to feel him.

When he kissed her and put her out of her misery, she relished in the warm feeling in her heart. The feeling of absolute happiness that seemed to just overflow now that she was with the man she loved.

Wait. Loved?

Nayuta had skipped out on practice, even though she had deliberately kept the news of her birthday from him so that he wouldn’t do so. He had kept her in mind while choosing her present, even going as far as to struggle to obtain it.

He didn’t make any grand elaborate gestures, but this still made her eyes water.

He kissed her tears away. “Don’t cry just yet,” he told her in a low voice as his hand slid up her shirt.

He peppered kisses down her jaw and neck, and she almost forgot how embarrassing it was to find herself undressed in front of him. He made her forget everything however, as he pulled off her underwear, a thought suddenly struck her and she moved to reach out for him through his clothes.

Nayuta grabbed her hand. “Just let _me_ ,” he said, slightly annoyed.

“But, Nayuta-kun…”

Ren found herself cut off by a growl from him. “It’s your birthday, so just enjoy it.”

She wanted to protest, but then he dipped his head and closed his lips over her, and she threw her head back in a moan.

He truly made her forget any thoughts of repaying him back, making her drown in pleasure over and over again. Knowing how much of an open book she could be, he took his time drawing it out of her, experimenting with different zones on her body and going by her reactions.

Despite outward appearances, he was always gentle with her during sex. She felt it might be because it was one of the only sources of expression he had, other than singing. He could play her like an instrument, pressing on exactly the right spots and applying just the right amount of pressure to make her breath hitch.

When she finally came down from her high, she sat up in a hurry. “Nayuta-kun! You didn’t come!”

“Hah?” he complained at her side, having just gotten comfortable under the sheets. “I did.”

Ren was about to ask how come, since he hadn’t put it in today, when she realized that the sounds she’d been hearing from him towards the end of their shared experience was probably him getting off.

That was kind of hot, actually.

She turned on her side, laying her head on his chest. Closing her eyes, she listened to he sound of his heartbeat, with its steady rhythm.

“Nayuta-kun,” she said as bliss overtook her. “I love you.”

It was quiet for a moment, but then she felt his fingers slowly thread through her curls, and she heard a murmur that suspiciously sounded like “I love you too.”

***

_Bonus scene:_

“I hope Ren-chan will like my gift~”

Nayuta froze as he heard those words from his bassist, whipping around to look him in the eye. “What did you do?” he asked slowly. “Did…you send Ren a gift?”

Ryo nodded happily. “I sure hope she likes it~!”

Nayuta cast a look towards Kenta, but his heart fell when the redhead shrugged. “This is news to me too.”

He took a threatening step towards the bassist. “You better not have given her anything strange…”

***

The five of them huddled around the mysterious gift wrapped in colorful wrapping paper with what looked like cartoon UFOs on them.

“Hey,” Ren began. “This is from Akebono-san, right?”

Wataru nodded. “Apparently it is.”

“Do we want to try opening it?” Banri asked.

“H-how bad could it be?” Yuto rationalized. “It’s just a birthday gift, right?”

“Alright, Goryo, you open it.”

“Eh! Why me? It’s Ren’s birthday!”

“So you’d rather have Ren-kun open a mysterious package?”

“When you put it like that, Banri…”

“I believe in you, Yuto!”

“You’re not helping, Ren.”

“Yu, just go ahead and open it.”

“Not you too, Wataru…”

_Sigh._

“If I die, I’ll haunt the four of you for eternity.”

“We’ll keep that mind, Goryo.”

“DON’T STAND SO FAR AWAY FROM ME!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had birthdays on the mind recently! So have a Ren birthday chapter!
> 
> Also added a small bonus scene I wrote earlier! I'll probably sprinkle quick bonus scenes throughout the story here and there! Some may be deleted scenes, but a lot may be quick crack adaptations xD


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Rio go to see a Gyroaxia concert, where she is faced with a harsh reality.

Ren had spent her life singing away alone in a karaoke booth. While she had come far with just her passion and determination (after all, they were what led Yuto and Wataru to her), she had become increasingly aware of her limits as a self-taught singer once they had begun more structured practices.

Luckily, Rio had stepped in (of course he was well-versed with vocal training) and had offered to coach her through the process. She could trace the improvement in her own vocalization from before his help to now.

However, she wasn’t satisfied with where she was at the moment, and Rio was all too happy to help her out with extra lessons at their sharehouse.

And that was where they were right now, in the living room with the piano. It was a weekend, and Banri was away at his part-time job. Being a day off, Yuto was frantically pulling a last-minute assignment submission at the university library. She didn’t know where Wataru was, but she assumed he was giving Yuto company as he usually did.

Rio shook his head. “You’re still forcing too much power in your voice,” he chastised her. “You’ll tire yourself out in no time like this.”

“Sorry,” she quickly apologized. “But I thought I’d sound better if my voice was more powerful.”

“You won’t get any more powerful if you’re all out of breath,” he replied. “At the rate you’re going, you’ll barely last two songs.”

“Then…what should I do?”

“It’s about knowing how to put the least amount of pressure on your voice,” Rio explained. “Here, try these techniques- “

As he walked her through her own performance, telling her where to let up and when to unleash her voice, Wataru appeared out of nowhere, patting his damp hair with a towel.

“Oh, Wataru?” she asked, surprised.

“Why do you sound so surprised to see me?” he chuckled. “I live here too, you know?”

“I know…I just assumed you’d be with Yuto.”

Wataru sighed. “Yuto keeps talking about band stuff and procrastinating when I’m around,” he explained. “So I thought I’d just come back home.”

Rio hummed. “That sounds like something Goryo would do.”

Wataru pulled up a chair. “Mind if I observe?” he asked.

The two shook their heads. At their response, the redhead sat down on the chair he had pulled up, sipping water from the bottle he had brought. He quietly observed as Rio ran Ren through some more vocal exercises, pausing in the hopes that she could understand what he was getting at.

“But don’t I have to be more unique as a vocalist in order for more people to like Argonavis?” she asked, confused.

“You _are_ unique,” Rio calmly pointed out. “Even if you weren’t, forcing uniqueness would not be of any help if you can barely sing two songs.”

Wataru chuckled from behind. “Ren,” he said, bringing her attention to him. “I’d listen to what Kikyo is saying. You should also focus on the basics before trying anything else. You shouldn’t compare yourself to Nayuta, you know?”

Ren nodded solemnly, knowing that Wataru has seen through her entirely.

“Actually…” Rio’s voice made both of them look towards him. “I believe Asahi is a really good example of what I mean.”

“He is?” Wataru asked, a bit surprised.

Rio nodded. “Despite Asahi’s voice, he knows how to place it well to not put too much pressure on his vocal cords,” he explained. “That’s how he gets by on singing multiple songs for an extended period of time.”

“That makes sense…” Ren said, eyes wide with wonder.

“I think you would learn a lot from him,” Rio told her. “Or even just watching him.”

Wataru hummed. “That’s not a bad idea!” he exclaimed. “Ren, you’re going to Gyroaxia’s live, aren’t you? Take that opportunity to learn from Nayuta.”

“For once, we agree, Matoba.”

“I won’t be free on that day, however,” Wataru lamented. “Kikyo, you can take her, right? It’ll help her stay focused.”

“What do you mean by that!” Ren exclaimed.

“Nothing! Just that you have a tendency to run off and get distracted when its him singing- wait, don’t throw that!”

Wataru put his hands up to defend himself from the notebook Ren flung at him, for which both of them received a very stern talking to by the keyboardist.

***

True to his word, Rio had joined her in going to the Gyroaxia live. As they found their seats in the large hall that the band would be playing in, Ren looked around at all the fans eagerly setting up their merchandise and chatting with each other.

The mood was infectious.

“Remember to focus on Asahi’s vocal technique,” Rio gently reminded her at her side.

She nodded. “I will!”

He smiled softly at her enthusiasm, which was definitely enhanced thanks to the expectant crowd.

The tanned man leaned back in his seat as their attention was drawn to the Gyroaxia members coming out on stage, sans their vocalist. As they played their instruments to rile up the crowd, he cast a quick glance at Ren’s eyes shining with excitement.

He smiled softly. Of all of them, Ren was the most connected to the music.

Nayuta then came up on stage, wearing his trademark scowl. However, his very presence was enough to generate enough excitement and energy that Rio felt it could power the city.

“We’ll show you our music, and with it, our resolve,” Nayuta announced into the mic. “Scatter!”

Ren sat up in her seat as Gyroaxia began to play. Once more, she felt the same thing from when she was a child. The enthusiastic audience coupled with the band’s energy moved her heart, and she unconsciously moved her fist to rest there.

And then Nayuta sang.

He sounded just as powerful as he always did, his gruff voice whisking her away into a world away from this one. Coupled with his overwhelming stage presence, his energy filled the entire theatre. It brought her back to the same feeling she experienced when she heard him sing live for the first time.

Her eyes then widened as she listened to his voice.

It seemed…clearer…somehow…yet more powerful.

How?

He’d gotten better.

She sat back in her chair as the realization dawned on her. Nayuta had improved considerably since she’d last heard him sing.

Once again, he’d run ahead.

Just when she almost caught up with him too.

As the live continued and Gyroaxia changed songs, she watched with a slight opened mouth.

She became increasingly aware momentarily of their positions. Him on the stage, her in the audience.

With the size of the venue, she blended right in with the crowd. Right into a dark sea of nameless faces as he stood up there doused in red, fiery light.

She thought she’d finally been able to catch up to him, but it seemed she was wrong.

Like always, he was way ahead of her.

She clenched her fist slightly where it lay on her chest. What about their relationship?

Did someone like her, who could blend right into the crowd, deserve to stand at Asahi Nayuta’s side?

The live finished to a resounding applause and Rio pulled himself to his feet. “I hope you were paying attention, Nanahoshi,” he said. “It was quite an educational experience, if I do say so myself.”

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Uh, yeah.”

He raised an eyebrow at her lack of response but brushed it off as her being overwhelmed after the concert. “Well, I assume you’ll be going backstage to meet with Asahi, then?” he guessed.

“Actually, Rio.” Her small voice surprised him. “Can we just go home?”

Rio pursed his lips at her unusual request. “If that’s what you want…”

***

As Gyroaxia began to pack up, Kenta noticed that Nayuta seemed a bit worried, considering the shorter man’s pacing.

And if he knew Nayuta, he knew he could pinpoint the exact source of his troubles.

“Nanahoshi didn’t come by, did she?” he asked.

A grunt from him gave him his answer.

“That’s strange,” Kenta mused. “My brother told me she and their keyboardist came to see us today.”

“I know,” Nayuta said.

“But if she didn’t come by to see you…”

“Leave it alone, Satozuka,” Nayuta warned. “She’s free to do whatever she wants.”

Kenta had his reservations, but nodded. “Understood.”

When the redhead turned away to finish putting away his guitar, Nayuta turned towards the door, his hand reaching for the phone in his pocket.

_Still no messages from Ren…_

He exhaled lightly. “What’s up with you?” he whispered.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While dealing with her insecurities, Ren runs into someone who gives her some insight she never knew she needed.

The next day still found those thoughts running through her mind.

While she’d hoped they would leave after a good night’s sleep, they stayed. They popped up even more as videos of Gyroaxia’s performance were uploaded, and she watched the views explode and the comments stream in.

She was happy reading all the comments, however they all seemed to reiterate the same thing she’d been thinking; Asahi Nayuta was practically unreachable.

She practically zombied her way through classes, somehow being lucky that her professor didn’t notice that her mind was elsewhere.

The thoughts swirling in her mind affected her environmental sense, she would realize as she turned the corner and bumped into someone. The tell-tale sound of glasses hitting the ground drew her attention, and she lifted them up after checking that they weren’t chipped or cracked in any way.

She held them out to the person in front. “I’m sorry! Here are your glasses!”

“It’s fine,” the person said, taking the glasses from her and putting them on. It was then that it dawned on her who this person was.

“Kenta-san!” Ren exclaimed.

The elder pushed his glasses up his nose before offering her a kind smile. “Nanahoshi, good to see you,” he said. “Are you on your way to the café?”

She nodded. “Good, I’m heading that way too, so I’ll escort you,” he said.

She immediately shook her head. “I-I couldn’t possibly impose- “

“Don’t worry,” Kenta cut her off. “It’s not a problem at all.”

Without waiting for her response, he quickly ushered her to the university café. Once there, he once again continued to do things on his own, telling her to find a place to sit and then getting them both drinks. Ren could do nothing but sit awkwardly, since she didn’t want to reject his kindness.

Once he sat down in front of her, she sighed. “I’m in your debt again, Kenta-san.”

“For this?” he asked, gesturing towards the cup of coffee. “Don’t sweat it.”

“No, I mean…” Ren fiddled with the edge of the cup nervously. “You’re always looking out for Argonavis, watching out for Yuto and Wataru. You watched over Banri when we couldn’t too. I…I don’t know where to begin to repay you…”

His chuckled brought her head up to see him resting his chin on his hand. “You’re interesting as always,” he commented. “But no, on the contrary. _I_ actually owe _you_ a debt.”

Her eyes widened. “M-me? But what did I do?”

“You helped bring Nayuta’s fire back.”

Ren continued to look at him with a confused face, causing the elder to exhale slightly. “Nayuta had written himself into a corner,” he explained. “He wasn’t improving, no matter what he tried. And then when nothing was working, he did things the way he always did, by attacking it with all his power. But that didn’t cause any improvements, but rather was starting to affect his body.”

“This was…during the battle of the bands…right?” She remembered the event well, the event where their chance almost slipped away due to the white haired man, the event where their beloved drummer had been hit by a truck, ending up with an injury that still reared its head once in a while. It was also the event where she got to sing to a passionate crowd, and most of all, sing with Nayuta together.

Kenta nodded. “But after you visited, your singing moved him. You were able to bring back something in him that he had almost lost. After your song together, his singing and writing has consistently gotten better now that he has an actual rival to challenge him properly. Best of all, he’s not sacrificing his health anymore.” He chuckled slightly. “Without you, Gyroaxia might have lost our vocalist. That’s a debt that can never be repaid.”

She looked down, pink tinting her cheeks. “T-thank you for the kind words,” she softly said. “Especially when I don’t deserve them.”

“Hm?” the male raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Nayuta-kun’s really awesome,” she said, her hands fidgeting in her lap. “He’s so talented, and good at singing, and even at writing and composing. He’s a genius, and I’m just a measly vocalist.”

She was brought out of her thoughts by a chuckle. Ren looked up only to see Kenta laughing slightly. “K-Kenta-san?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly. She had never heard him laugh, and it was slightly unsettling.

“You’re interesting, alright,” he said, straightening up and pushing his glasses further up his nose. “You’re definitely the first musician I’ve met who is unaware of their own level.”

“L-level?”

“Nanahoshi Ren.” She straightened up slightly hearing her name. “Do you know why Argonavis was picked to open for Gyroaxia back in Hakodate?”

She thought for a moment. “It was because Mashu-san came to our live show, right?”

“That’s what happened, yes,” he agreed. “But haven’t you ever given any thought as to why _you_ guys were picked? After all, Mashu goes to many bands’ lives in order to find new talent. So, why Argonavis?”

Ren stared at him with confusion, so he gave a small grin and continued. “It was your vocals that drew him in,” he explained.

“M-my vocals?”

Kenta nodded. “A band can have good music, but it means nothing without a vocalist,” he told her. “When Mashu went to your show, he saw potential in you that he could draw out, which was why he gave Argonavis all those opportunities. He doesn’t go that far for just anyone. The only other time I saw him go that far was for Gyroaxia, and that was because of Nayuta.”

She stayed silent, her eyes on the cup in front of her. Kenta took that chance to continue. “Mashu saw the same potential in you as he saw in Nayuta. Now I don’t know about you, but that says something.”

He then pushed his chair back and got up. “I’ll admit, once I saw your performance, I understood myself why he picked you. And while he wouldn’t admit it then, so did Nayuta. After all, you were the only one to catch his eye.”

Ren looked up.

“I should get going, but this one is on me,” Kenta told her, taking his jacket from the chair. “You should believe in your own potential.”

He then left the café, and Ren let out a breath. _He was quite intimidating…_

***

She checked her phone to find numerous messages from Nayuta.

Panicking slightly, she opened the first one from the top. “Stop ignoring me,” it read.

The message after it read, “We need to talk. So come to my apartment after class.”

Ren swallowed lightly. She had to admit, while she didn’t want to avoid her own boyfriend, at this moment she didn’t know how she could face him.

Yet she was more worried that if she rejected his invitation, he would storm into their sharehouse and carry her away.

She reluctantly replied that she’d drop by.

And drop by she did.

However, she didn’t meet his gaze, overwhelmingly aware of his presence as he moved aside to let her in. When he spoke to her, all she could manage was single word answers with a flush on her cheeks.

It annoyed him quite a bit. “What’s wrong with you recently?” he asked.

“Wrong?” she squeaked. “N-nothing’s wrong!”

“Bullshit,” he replied. “You can’t even look at me.”

When she couldn’t reply, he sighed. “Was my live that bad?” he asked. “Or did I do something to upset you? I know I’m not the most expressive, but I’m trying.”

“I-it’s not you!” she quickly said, turning to him. Was he worried all this time that he was the cause? “It’s me.”

He huffed slightly. “This sounds like the beginning of something I’d rather not hear…”

“T-That wasn’t what I meant!”

“Spit it out then, what did you mean?”

“I don’t know whether I’m worthy enough to stand at your side!”

Once she had yelled that out, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she straightened up a bit now that nothing was weighing her down anymore. However, the silence that had descended upon them was absolutely awkward and she twiddled her thumbs.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, sounding even more annoyed than usual.

She looked down once more. “I don’t know whether I can keep up with Nayuta-kun,” she slowly admitted. In the meantime, he took a seat on his bed, looking up at her with a questioning gaze. “Y-you’re so amazing, and I’m nothing. I feel like you’re unattainable.”

Nayuta narrowed his eyes, causing Ren’s breath to hitch in her throat. He wasn’t impressed at all, and she had no idea what he was going to do.

She was surprised when he pulled her closer so that she was on the bed, on her knees between his legs. “You’re a pain, you know that?” he said with exasperation evident in his voice.

She gulped slightly, looking down. However, he pushed her chin up a little so that she could properly meet his eyes.

“You’re an idiot,” he informed her. “Going off on your own like that, thinking whatever you want.”

_He’s mad, isn’t he…_

“I’m unattainable? Hah!” he spat. “Am I really so out of reach? When you’re right here?”

His hand reached up to push her hair back, lightly tracing her neck before resting the back of his fingers against her cheek. The delicate gesture caused her eyes to flutter closed. “Can you not touch me right now?” he continued.

He slowly brought his fingers down, tracing the soft line of her neck, making her shudder. His fingers dropped to the neckline of her shirt, and he pulled it down a little to expose the marks he’d left behind.

“Aren’t these made by me?” he questioned. “Unless you’ve been seeing someone else…”

“T-they’re yours,” she stammered. She knew the last statement was just a prod since he had quite the immaculate memory when it came to these things.

He brought his free hand to his own shirt, pulling down the neckline slightly to expose the marks she had left on his collarbone. “You left these on me, didn’t you?”

The flush on her face deepened, and all she could do was nod. “We’ve left our impressions on each other,” he told her. “So, what’s the deal with me being unattainable?”

“B-but your music- “

“If anyone can reach my music, it’s _you_ , Nanahoshi Ren.”

Her eyes widened at how completely serious he was. “W-what?”

“You should believe in your own potential.” Her mouth dropped as Nayuta had somehow repeated the exact same thing that Kenta had told her a while ago. It only then dawned on her that while she had constantly thought of herself as unable to reach his level, both Nayuta and Kenta, perhaps her friends too, already saw her as the white-haired vocalist’s equal.

Ren could only imagine what Nayuta must have felt hearing her talk like she wasn’t anywhere near his own vicinity.

As she processed the way Nayuta was trying to make her feel better, she didn’t register that her eyes had begun to pool with tears, and that he had his hand back up, fingers wiping away her tears.

“So, if you’re quite done looking down on yourself…”

Ren gave a small squeak of surprise when Nayuta suddenly flipped them onto the bed and she found herself propped up against the pillows with him in front of her. He set his intense eyes on her.

“I’ll make you forget you ever doubted yourself,” he proclaimed as his hand slowly pulled up her shirt.

He then kissed her, and every doubt evaporated from her mind. They wouldn’t return for the rest of the night as she was engulfed in Nayuta. As he continued his way down her body, all her thoughts were replaced with the fact that she really loved him.

Ren loved Nayuta so much it hurt.

Later, once she had finally caught her breath, another thought slowly struck her. “Nayuta-kun?”

“Hm?”

“You’re the King of the World, aren’t you?” She giggled at the light blush that dotted his cheeks at the reference to one of his songs.

“So, why would you want me at your side?”

He grumbled slightly, pulling her closer so she could get more comfortable on his chest. “Well, Kings can’t rule by themselves, can they?”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren's influence begins to change Nayuta even more.

He sat back against the pillows, letting out a small sigh as he tore himself away from his laptop. His eyes unconsciously moved to pause at his bathroom, where the sound of a running shower was heard.

Ren had been quite insistent on sleeping here since it was already this late, even if it wasn’t like Nayuta would let her walk back alone this late. Hence, as he got some composing done, she took the time to take a shower and get ready for bed.

His mind wandered to the second drawer of his wardrobe. Originally, it had been empty or a place for Nayuta to drop his sheet music.

But ever since he’d started seeing Ren, that drawer now housed three different sets of her clothes.

He also thought to how she kept a toothbrush of her own in the bathroom, and he would always find it leaning against his own.

He wondered when she had become such a huge part of his life.

Nayuta quickly shook himself out of the thought. He needed to focus and finish this while he was still in the mood.

As he put his earphones back in and drowned himself in his newest composition, he didn’t notice that Ren had finished her shower and had emerged from the bathroom.

“Oh? What’re you doing?” she asked, sliding into the bed next to him.

He removed one of his earphones, acknowledging her presence. “Composing.”

She pulled herself up beside him so she could see what he was doing. Her eyes widened at the sight of a complicated looking software with various sizes of bars. “This looks difficult,” she stated.

“Not really,” he admitted. “Once you get used to it.”

“Are you making the song here only?”

He nodded. “You don’t use sheet music?” she asked.

“I do, when the song is finished. But I first finish the demo,” Nayuta replied.

Her mouth opened in an ‘O.’ “Do you guys not make demos?” he asked, now curious.

Ren shook her head. “Rio composes the music, and Wataru writes the songs. Then we just practice it all together,” she explained. “Although since we got signed, Rio’s been using something like this more and more.”

Nayuta raised his eyebrows. _Rio…that was the keyboardist, Kikyo Rio, wasn’t it?_ He could place the name of Wataru Matoba as being Kenta’s brother, but apart from him and Goryo, Nayuta really didn’t know any of the other members of Argonavis.

Apart from that, he found it odd hearing that they didn’t make full demos, only relying on the moment to test out their music. It was unusual, he thought, but it actually made sense that they’d make music together.

“Nayuta-kun, can you teach me how to use this?” Ren asked, her voice shaking him out of his thoughts.

“You want to learn? Why?”

“I want to get better at making music,” she said. “I want to help Rio and Wataru make music that people will love, that will make us a better band too.” She let out a small sigh. “I’ve helped write a couple of songs so far, but I want to do more. I want to become a better musician, like you.”

She looked up at him. “Will you teach me?”

Nayuta sighed. How could he refuse?

He offered her the free earbud to put in her own ear as she readjusted herself so she was resting on his arm, offering her a better view of the screen. The movement made him pause for a moment, taking in her freshly washed appearance, flushed skin and the sweet smell of his shampoo coming from her hair.

“Nayuta-kun?”

“Oh, right.”

***

The four members crowded around the music player, from which came the song that Nayuta had stayed up late composing. The vocalist in question relaxed on the couch, sipping a cup of lemon coffee.

“Well?” he asked once the song finished.

Kenta smiled at him. “Amazing, as usual, Nayuta.”

Nayuta nodded. As expected, the praise began to roll in. To be entirely honest, however, he was getting a bit tired of the endless praise.

He recalled back to last night, how Ren had peppered him with questions in the middle of his explanation, constantly asking why he did so and so when he could have done something else. While he had played the annoyed teacher, inside, he enjoyed her challenging him when all this time he’d just kept being told that he was a genius.

He then noticed that Reon’s brow was still furrowed.

“Misono?”

Reon snapped his head up. “Yeah?”

“Do you have any thoughts on Nayuta’s song?” Kenta prompted helpfully.

Reon gave a small sigh. “It’s great as always,” he said and turned, ready to leave.

“Misono,” Nayuta cut him off. “If you have anything to say about my music, say it.”

The other members fixed their eyes on the dark-haired guitarist, making him slightly shrink under their curious gazes. Reon was pretty explicit in his dislike of Nayuta, but even he never questioned the vocalist’s songs. So this was new.

Reon put his hands up in defense. “Really, guys, I don’t have anything to say!” he said.

Nayuta then fixed him with his intense gaze, hoping to draw out his inner thoughts. Reon then sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“It’s good as usual,” he repeated. “I have no complaints about it, although…” he trailed off as his voice got smaller and smaller with every passing word.

“Out with it.”

“Well, I just thought that instead of going hard at this part, we could instead go for a softer tone and then build up to this part,” Reon said, pressing the buttons on the player to rewind to the particular parts he was referring to.

Nayuta’s gaze fell to the ground as he considered the words as the others looked at Reon in shock.

“Did he just sign his own death warrant?” Miyuki wondered.

On the side, Kenta psyched himself up to step in and diffuse the situation.

Then, to everyone’s shock, Nayuta nodded.

“That makes sense,” he said. “We’ll go with that.”

Of the members of Gyroaxia no one was more shocked at this revelation than Reon himself, who stood with his mouth open. “Who are you and what have you done to Nayuta?” he asked.

Nayuta shot him his usual red glare, and Reon turned away. “He’s still the same,” he said softly.

A smile then played on Kenta’s lips. “Well, this is a new development,” he told Nayuta.

“What’s new about it?” Nayuta grumbled. “Misono just gave useful feedback for once in his life. It doesn’t excuse his continuous mistakes.”

“Feedback that _you_ accepted,” Kenta pointed out. “You’re not known to be one to accept any sort of dissent.”

Nayuta sighed. “I suppose this has something to do with dear Nanahoshi Ren?” Kenta suggested.

Nayuta turned away from him with a growl, but the didn’t stop the elder from catching the pink tinting the vocalist’s cheeks.

“I just thought I could make better music if I listened to everyone once in a while.”

Kenta couldn’t stop his chuckle for which he received Nayuta’s signature death glares.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Gyroaxia begin to move forward with plans for a tour, Nayuta confronts a feeling that's been brewing for quite long.

Mashu stepped into the practice room just as Gyroaxia managed to finish their practice. He was greeted by a grumble from Nayuta and regular greetings from the rest.

“Here,” he said, handing out pamphlets to them. “Details for your next live.”

Kenta nodded. “Understood,” he said as he scanned the paper detailing the theme of the live and the setlist.

“Also, we have begun planning Gyroaxia’s tour of Japan,” Mashu continued. “The final plans are being drawn up, so prepare for that.”

Reon grinned. “A national tour, huh? This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

Miyuki chuckled. “A chance to see all the beautiful ladies from all over the country? I wouldn’t miss it for the world!”

Ryo extended his arms over his head. “I shall bring happiness to everyone all over! Then I can go back to my home planet!”

Kenta turned his head to the side. “Nayuta?”

The white-haired man seemed just as expressionless as he always was, studying the plans for the live with his lips pursed. Upon his words, Nayuta looked back up.

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Isn’t it great, though?” Kenta urged. “A national tour is a big achievement.”

“Yeah, it is.”

He sighed. It seemed Nayuta was more preoccupied with thoughts of their upcoming show than the idea of a nation wide tour that wasn’t fully set in stone yet. Despite his grand proclamations of ruling the world and all, Nayuta was still grounded enough in reality that immediate plans would always take precedence.

“That is all,” Mashu said, adjusting his suit a bit. “Focus on the next show, look over the setlist.”

Giving them their tasks for the next few days, the older man then turned and left. He knew he didn’t need to do anything else and that Kenta would take over for him.

***

“A Japan tour?” Ren asked, her eyes shining. “That’s amazing, Nayuta-kun! That’s a massive achievement!”

The two were lying in bed (after Nayuta had practically pounced on Ren after not getting to see her for a week) with the blanket pulled up around Ren’s chest. He had no idea why, but she always preferred to wrap herself with the blanket whenever they were done. He didn’t truly understand it because it wasn’t that cold and he had already seen everything numerous times.

Yet Ren was relentless, and when he’d gone to dispose of the condom, she had taken the entire blanket and wrapped herself in it. This had caused a battle between them as Nayuta fought to pull enough of the blanket back that he could get under too. In his words, it was _his_ house.

Eventually they had ended up with enough of the blanket for each other, well, as much as Ren was willing to.

He nodded as his thumb absentmindedly ran across her hand as it lay clasped with his own in between them. “I know,” he agreed.

She tilted her head slightly. “I thought you’d be happier about this,” she said. “After all, isn’t a national tour one step closer to an international one?”

“I am,” he said with a breath. “I’m just more concerned with our actual live tomorrow.”

She chuckled slightly. “But still, Nayuta-kun really is amazing,” she sighed wistfully.

“You don’t have a tour planned yet?” he wondered.

She shook her head. “We’re still quite far off from a national tour,” she said. “For now, we’re playing at big live houses. And we’ve got a full theater booked for a live!”

“That’s good,” he said. It made sense, since Ren’s company wasn’t as large as the one backing Gyroaxia, so despite their following they might hesitate to send them off on a national tour. It would take a bit more time for Argonavis to announce a tour of that scale, and probably even longer for them to announce an international one.

“Oh, I’m getting excited,” she said happily. “I want to quickly go on tour too! I want to be like you, Nayuta-kun!”

“Just focus on your lives for now,” he grumbled slightly.

She shook her head. “I know, but I want to catch up to you quickly. I want to be where you are!”

Nayuta sighed a little, bringing their clasped hands up to his face. He studied her delicate fingers as they lay in his much larger palm. Without thinking, he brought them to his lips, brushing over her soft skin.

“You already are…”

***

He invited her to his show as always, a bit cautious this time since he was well aware what had happened the last time she’d shown up to his show. However, she assured him that she wouldn’t clamp up upon seeing him perform again.

The performance was enchanting as usual, and Ren could swear the more she saw Nayuta perform, the more she fell in love with him.

Later, she moved backstage (thanks to special permission that Kenta had kindly acquired for her). However, upon reaching Gyroaxia’s dressing room, she found a distinct lack of the white-haired vocalist.

“Kenta-san.”

“Hm?”

“Would you happen to know where Nayuta-kun is?”

Kenta smiled softly as he placed his guitar down. “He needed to take a breather,” he relayed. “But he told me that if you came by, to come to the roof.”

“The roof?”

Kenta nodded, waving as she scooted out quickly to find her boyfriend.

She found Nayuta on the roof of the tall building, leaning against the railing and looking down. When he heard her come in, he gave her a small nod of acknowledgement, turning back to his view as she took a spot next to him.

She followed his gaze over the city, and her eyes lit up. The city at night was littered with lights, like the sky had been reflected onto the ground.

“This is what you see all the time?” she asked softly.

He nodded. “This is what the view is like from the top.”

“It’s beautiful,” she smiled.

“You’ve never seen this view before?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I prefer that view,” she said, pointing up.

He lifted his head up to see the sky stretching out over them. Due to the light pollution, the stars were a bit dulled, but were clear enough that he could make out multiple constellations.

_This…was what Ren always saw…_

“Why?” the question escaped his lips.

She took a deep breath. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I always love looking up at the stars. I suppose it’s because I’m reminded that no matter where I go, the night sky always stays the same.”

He raised an eyebrow at her words, wondering where she took comfort in that.

“Argonavis was formed under a sky just like this,” she said. “So, to me, it says that like the stars, we’ll stay the same no matter where we go.”

“Isn’t that a bad thing?” he wondered.

“Not really,” she replied. “Because for us it means that we’ll always keep seeing the same dream. It reminds us that we’re nothing without each other, and that wherever we go, we can do anything because we’re together.”

He turned his head softly in her direction, watching as the streetlights from below illuminated her twinkling eyes.

“But,” she said, looking down, “your view is really amazing too. I feel like I can do anything when I see this.”

A new emotion overtook him, and he reached out, letting his fingers gently brush against her cheek as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

He’d been watching this view from the top by himself all this time.

He’d never known how beautiful it could be with someone else.

His body acted of its volition and he moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his head in the crook of her neck.

“Will you come with me?” he asked into her skin.

Ren had been quite surprised by his sudden actions, her face flushed as she attempted to register his words amidst his close contact. “Huh?”

“If I go to the top, will you be there with me?” he asked. “At the apex, will you watch this view with me?”

“N-Nayuta-kun…”

“If those dolts from your band want to come, let them come,” he continued. “My idiots are along for the ride anyway.”

He adjusted his head slightly so that his lips were brushing against her exposed skin. “But is it alright if I ask _you_ to be with me there?” he asked softly, his voice almost inaudible.

She nodded despite herself, her hands going to rest over his as they wrapped around her stomach. “If it’s where Nayuta-kun is, I’ll definitely be there too.”

Her response stirred those emotions in his heart once again, those emotions that were overwhelming yet not understood. To be entirely honest, they scared him, whenever they did pipe up from time to time.

At this moment however, as his eyes caught the view of Tokyo from the top, all he could think of was how he didn’t want to be alone anymore.

He lifted his head from her shoulder as she turned in his arms, an arm going up to rest at his cheek.

He cast a quick glance at the sky, and he saw a streak of light flying across the sky. _A shooting star…_

That would be the last thing he’d see as he lowered his gaze back onto Ren, sliding his lips over hers.

It would be fine, wouldn’t it? For someone like him to desire this? To desire this closeness, this feeling of having someone right beside them?

For the first time in his life, Asahi Nayuta made a wish upon a shooting star.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conflict stirs when Mashu approaches both Nayuta and Ren with a proposal

“Good work today,” Kenta called out as the other members began to file out.

Miyuki and Reon echoed his greeting and left, and Ryo draped himself on Kenta’s shoulder for a moment, telling him that he was sure their new song would spread happiness everywhere. While Kenta dealt with the hyperactive wannabe alien, Nayuta took a few moments to finish his bottle of water.

Just as Ryo finished tormenting Kenta and left, Mashu stepped into the studio. He gave the redhead a nod of acknowledgement.

“Do you need something?” Kenta asked.

“I require Asahi for a moment,” Mashu replied coolly.

Kenta folded his arms across his shoulders. “Anything you need to say, you can say to me as well,” he said. “I am the leader of this band.”

“I am well aware,” Mashu sighed. “However, this matter does not concern the band.”

Kenta furrowed his brows. He had a bad feeling about this, but he was left with no other choice. He picked up his duffel bag and left after bidding goodbye to Nayuta.

Mashu then approached the couch, where Nayuta had just finished his bottle of water and was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“So? What do you want?” he asked the elder.

Mashu narrowed his eyes at the white-haired vocalist. “I recently came to know that you have been seeing Nanahoshi Ren.”

Nayuta huffed, still looking away. “And what if I am?” he challenged. “It’s nothing to do with you.”

Mashu’s next words would make Nayuta open his eyes.

“On the contrary, Asahi. It does have something to do with me.”

Nayuta fixed his red glare on Mashu, but as usual the older man was used to him by now.

“I must insist that you stop seeing Nanahoshi at once.”

The younger’s look darkened. “What if I refuse?”

Mashu stayed silent as Nayuta pulled himself to his feet, tossing the empty plastic bottle in the bin. He then turned on his heel and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“What can you do, Mashu?” he asked, taking a threatening step towards the elder. “You know you can’t remove me from Gyroaxia. The higher ups would have a field day. Neither can you cancel any of our shows, or even our tour, at least not without prior orders.”

He stepped closer. “You can’t hurt Ren, either, since she isn’t part of our company. And you wouldn’t risk the backlash if you were found blocking their progress.”

Mashu gave Nayuta a dark look as the younger continued. “Let’s face it, you can’t touch me. So your idle threats won’t work.”

The elder didn’t reply as Nayuta grabbed his bag and went to the door. When he had his hand on the handle was when he decided to speak up.

“But are you so sure that Nanahoshi is on the same page as you are?” Mashu asked.

Nayuta glared at him, gritting his teeth. “Just…stay away from us.”

As the door closed behind him, Nayuta was overcome with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Somehow, he wondered whether he had just tempted fate.

***

With a sudden class cancellation, Ren found herself with nothing to do. She had thought of contacting Nayuta, but he’d already been planning to skip the class to practice.

She couldn’t fault him. With Gyroaxia’s Japan tour now confirmed, the members were all working overtime to make sure they were in tip top shape to bring their music to the whole country.

But at the moment, with her last class of he day being cancelled, Ren found herself with a lot more free time than she had anticipated. And at this time, none of her friends would be free either. The only ones who might have gotten out early were Yuto and Wataru, but they still had classes for the next three hours. Rio and Banri wouldn’t get out till much later.

Ren sighed. Perhaps she could take this opportunity to drop by a place and sing some karaoke. It had been a while since she’d sung by herself.

She stepped out of the building, turning to make her way to the station to catch her train, when she found a familiar figure waiting for her.

“M-Mashu-san…”

The older man greeted her with a nod. “May I have a word?”

Ren instinctively shrunk back a little as the memories of the last time they met alone played in her head. “I may have to refuse,” she said softly.

“I must insist.”

She hesitated, but eventually relented, and that was how she found herself in the café where they often hung out. She’d hoped Rio would be there, but he was probably deeply buried in his classes at the moment.

She felt quite nervous and fearful without her friends at her side.

“Mashu-san,” she said, gathering up the courage to speak first. “I thank you for the coffee, but if this is about me leaving Argonavis, then I have no intention- “

He held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. “I do not wish to ask you to leave your band,” he clarified. “I am not interested in that anymore.”

“Oh…” She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “Then why did you come here?”

Mashu put his cup of coffee down, setting his gaze on her. “It has come to my attention that you have been seeing Asahi, have you not?”

She shrunk a little but nodded. “Yes, we’ve been together for a while now.” She found it odd why he would ask about her and Nayuta.

“Then I must ask you to stop seeing him.”

Her eyes widened. “W-what do you mean?” she stammered.

“It would not be in your best interest if you and Asahi continue to be together,” Mashu reiterated.

Something snapped in her and she stood up, slamming her hands on the table. “No!”

“Excuse me?”

“No! I won’t separate from Nayuta-kun!” she said furiously. “I refuse, after all we’ve been through.”

Mashu observed her outburst and studied her face, filled with anger and determination. He calmly took another sip from his cup.

“I suppose I have to use advanced persuasion then.”

“W-what are you talking about?”

He rested his chin on folded hands. “If you won’t stop seeing Asahi, then I’ll have to force you to do so.”

She sat back down slowly as panic began to rise in her throat.

“Gyroaxia’s upcoming tour of Japan; you’re aware of it, are you not?” he asked. She nodded. “If you will not break up with Asahi, then that tour will be cancelled.”

Ren felt her blood run cold at that. _Gyroaxia’s…precious…tour…_

“You…you can’t do that!” she attempted. “Y-you need to have clearance- “

“What makes you think I don’t?”

His comeback made her stop, as if she had lost her voice. She felt like all the air had escaped from her lungs.

“I’ll repeat it once more,” Mashu said curtly. “Break up with Asahi Nayuta or I will pull the plug on their national tour.”

Her gaze slowly fell to the coffee table as her vision blurred. Her head spun and she felt like her palms were shivering.

He got up, adjusting his suit. “Think about it.”

As he turned to leave, her small voice stopped him.

“W-what do you expect me to do?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t care. I can’t be bothered to concern myself with juvenile things. Just do as I say.”

Saying so, he left, and all she heard was the gentle chimes on the door echoing in her mind over and over.

***

She decided to skip practice that night since she knew she’d be unable to concentrate. Wataru had voiced some concern since she wasn’t known to do so, but she had assured him that nothing was wrong and not to worry about her, and that she’d have dinner with the rest of them once practice was over as usual.

However, her heart felt like a ton of bricks as she walked back to the sharehouse.

The conversation played over and over in her head. Over and over, she considered Mashu’s words.

_Break up with Asahi Nayuta or their Japan tour will be cancelled._

She knew he was quite excited about this tour. After all, it brought him one step closer to his dream, one step closer to all he’d been working for all this time. It was important to him and she could hear the excitement in his voice, however little he showed her.

But…breaking up with him?

She looked at her palm. Her small palm had been held delicately by his larger hand so many times. Despite its small size, she always seemed to fit perfectly with his.

Like their hands were always meant to be held by each other.

She loved him so much it hurt, and she knew it.

Yet, could she live with herself if Gyroaxia’s tour was cancelled because she chose to stay at Nayuta’s side?

 _So, it was a choice then_ , she thought sombrely. _A choice between her or music._

At this point, she had reached her room and had put her bag on the bed. Her eyes fell on her desk on which the five Star Five ranger figures she owned were neatly arranged in a line. Behind them, leaning against the rest of the card deck was the Red ranger card that Nayuta had given her.

She picked it up and looked at it. Somehow, she felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“Even without thinking, the choice is obvious, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorrynotsorry 
> 
> It's time for the main conflict of the story!


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren makes her decision.

She made her way to the studio, not really focusing and just letting her legs lead the way. At this point, she’d gone over to that studio enough times that her body knew the way too well.

However, as she walked, she felt a weight press down on her shoulders, a weight that kept increasing with every step.

Nayuta had contacted her the previous night, inviting her over for their usual weekly movie night, but she had refused. Being Nayuta, he had respected her wishes and had instead asked her to come by so he could run a new composition he was working on by her.

When she arrived at the studio, she found Nayuta practicing alone. He raised his head and nodded when he noticed her entrance.

“Good, you’re here,” he said. “The others aren’t around today, so we have the place to ourselves.” He gestured with his head towards the couch. “Take a seat and I’ll play what I have at the moment.”

“Nayuta-kun.”

He turned back to her, only just now taking in her slumped posture. Her small voice had startled him, being something completely unlike her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“We need to talk,” Ren said, rubbing her hands absentmindedly together.

He raised an eyebrow. “Is this about yesterday?” he asked. “Then don’t worry about it. We can always watch a movie anytime.”

“No,” she stopped him. “That’s not what this is about.”

“Then what?”

“I want to break up.”

The words that came out of her mouth didn’t seem like her. It felt like someone else was controlling her, making her say the exact opposite of what she actually wanted to say.

He narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”

“I said I want to break up,” she repeated.

He fixed his unwavering gaze on her, leaving the mic and moving closer to her. “What are you on about?”

She clenched her jaw to prevent her tears from coming out. _Not yet, not yet_.

“Nayuta-kun, I don’t want to be together anymore.”

His eyes widened. “The hell are you saying?”

“I’m saying I don’t love you anymore!” she yelled out.

Silence fell upon the two of them as Ren turned away, unable to meet his gaze. Adjusting her shaky voice, she spoke once more.

“I’m not in love with you, not anymore. I don’t want to see you again.”

“Ren…”

“I’m serious, Nayuta-kun! I don’t want to be together with you!”

He stayed silent, and she trembled slightly, waiting for him to call her bluff or explode in a rage. Instead, he walked closer to her.

 _No,_ she thought desperately. _Don’t come any closer!_

Because she knew if he did, then she’d break down and tell him everything.

That was something she couldn’t do.

She steadied herself once more. She was doing this for him, to protect him.

She felt his hesitant hand reach out for her clenched fists. “Ren, what- “

He couldn’t complete the sentence as he suddenly found himself pushed back by Ren’s hands on his chest.

That movement seemed to have shocked him more than anything.

She turned away, unable to see the look of absolute shock, as if something had broken in him. “P-please don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”

Nayuta still seemed to be processing that she had roughly pushed him away, choosing to just stand there and watch her. Unable to take the look of shock and hurt on his face anymore, Ren turned around.

“G-goodbye, Nayuta-kun…”

She practically ran out of the door to avoid breaking down right there and then.

As he watched the door close with a small click, Nayuta seemed to have gotten some of his composure back. But it was barely enough for him to go back to his mic, staggering slightly as he neared it.

He then whipped around and flung the object into the wall with as much force as he could muster. When it hit the wall and fell down, it left a deep dent resembling the void that now grew in Nayuta’s heart as he put his head in his hands and gave a yell of frustration.

***

Once she stepped out of the building, she immediately began to feel colder than usual. She knew it had nothing to do with the actual temperature, but rather because her heart felt like ice.

_The things she had said to Nayuta…_

She wrapped her arms around herself, but that did nothing to placate the ever-increasing chills going down her spine. She felt horrible, like a villain.

Her first instinct was to look for comfort, and she immediately looked around for Wataru. For a sheltered single child, Wataru had been the first person who’d looked after her like a brother, and right now, she really needed his strength.

Looking around though, she found him nowhere. Mentally, she called for the rest of her friends. She called for Rio, who’s stoic front yet gentle presence she could use right now. She called for Banri, who never failed to cheer her up and make her laugh.

However, she found none of them around, only strangers, who would soon begin to notice the girl on the verge of tears.

She tried to find a nice quiet corner of the place and attempted to still her heart and control her tears. Yet it seemed that her heart continued to be crushed by an overbearing force the more she tried.

She wanted to yell out, to fall to her knees and weep for what she had done.

_No, don’t fall, don’t fall…_

A figure then came to stand in front of her and she turned her head up slightly, taking care not to let the tears pooling in her eyes spill.

Even through her blurry vision, she could immediately recognize him.

“Y-Yuto?” she asked softly, trying not to sob. “W-what are you- “

“I was in there too,” he told her simply. “So, I heard everything.”

“I- “ She cut herself off with a small choke. Crap, she really was going to break down in public.

And worse, now her dear friend knew what a terrible person she was.

Yuto looked around quickly before sighing. Ren put her head down not knowing what to do, but then she felt something on her head.

When she raised her eyes to look at him, she saw that he had removed his own hat and had placed it on her head. As the tears began to fall from her eyes, he pulled the edge down so it covered her face in shadow.

“Don’t worry,” he told her kindly. “I won’t let them see you cry.”

At that, she finally broke down, unable to stop the storm from consuming her.

He said nothing, simply pulling her towards his chest and shielding her from any onlookers. To anyone else, they probably looked like any other couple on the street. But the tension was heavy between the two of them.

For Yuto, he was quite conflicted. While he had secretly been wishing for Ren and Nayuta to split (in the darkest corners of his mind), he hadn’t wanted it to be like this. Not when it caused her so much pain and anguish. As her tears soaked into his shirt, all he could think about was how incapable of such harsh words Ren was.

 _Something else was happening,_ he thought in the back of his mind. He made a mental note to reach out to Wataru to maybe dig down and find out.

But for now, Ren needed his strength, and he was more than willing to offer it to her.

***

“Again!” Nayuta growled into the mic.

The rest of his band all looked at each other.

“We’ve been practicing for four hours straight,” Miyuki pointed out. “We need a break.”

“He’s right, Nayuta,” Kenta pointed out.

Nayuta looked at them with fury in his eyes. “You take breaks if you want,” he said. “But don’t come crying to me when you can’t keep up with me.”

Ryo looked like he was about to say something but the look on the vocalist’s face made him stop. Reon took the opportunity to move towards Kenta.

“He’s in quite the foul mood today,” he said.

Miyuki nodded. “He’s harsher than usual as well.”

Ryo sombrely hummed. “His energy is depleted,” he sadly commented.

Kenta turned around, walking to Nayuta. “Did something happen?” he asked, hoping the younger would help him out.

“Nothing that concerns you,” the vocalist snapped back.

The tone of his voice was one that Kenta hadn’t heard in months. He furrowed his brows. “Nayuta, did something happen with Nanahoshi Ren?” he asked slowly, silently praying that he had just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

Nayuta froze and fixed him with his red glare from below his hair.

“R-Nanahoshi…won’t be coming by anymore,” he said, his volume lowered.

Kenta’s eyes widened. “Wait, don’t tell me you two broke up!” he exclaimed.

Nayuta’s silence only confirmed his worries. His realization sent a shockwave around the rest of the members as they put the pieces together of Nayuta’s foul mood.

“Wait, how come?” Reon piped up. “I thought the two of you were doing quite well.”

“Ren-chan won’t be coming by anymore?” Ryo asked sadly. “That does not make me happy.”

“Nayuta,” Miyuki got up, moving to Kenta’s side. “What happened?”

Kenta’s hum echoed his worry. Even if Ren was primarily with Nayuta, the rest of Gyroaxia had also become quite fond of her. So hearing such things from him was not only unlike him, but quite worrying.

Nayuta whipped around, waves of fury flowing off him. “You’re all idiots!” he yelled at them. “Stop worrying about random people and get back to work! Otherwise get out!”

“Nayuta…” Kenta trailed off, worry filling him.

“And another thing,” Nayuta said, grabbing hold of his mic with more force than necessary. “I don’t want to hear you all mention her name in my presence anymore.”

The other three gave Kenta a look of concern.

He nodded, silently telling them that he’d handle it. Something had happened, and it irked him that he had no idea what.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuto takes action when Ren's depression begins affecting the rest of the band.

When Yuto had finally led Ren back to the sharehouse, she had wordlessly gone into her room and closed the door, not saying a single word to even Wataru, who had diligently waited up for them.

For the next week, she didn’t leave her room.

Even Banri’s invitation to go to a Star Five event hadn’t brought her out. Rio, being the genius he was, had also replicated the Chinese Chicken Burger that she adored so much, but even that hadn’t made her budge. Reluctantly, Rio had defaulted to leaving her meals outside the door and collecting the empty tray later.

Wataru, in the meantime, almost went mad with worry.

“What even happened?” he fretted. “This is unlike Ren to be so closed up. She doesn’t go to class, nor does she come to practice. I think this is the longest she’s gone without singing too!”

“At least she’s eating,” Rio pointed out, carrying an empty tray. “It would be worse if she withdrew so much she stopped eating.”

Banri nodded. “But I’m still worried,” he said. “She has never said no to a Star Five marathon before!”

Wataru lay his head in his hands. “I feel powerless,” he admitted. “I don’t even know what I can do…”

Sitting opposite him, Yuto looked down. The look of desperation on the redhead’s face tugged at his heart. Despite knowing exactly what had happened, he had decided not to divulge any information yet.

But this was affecting Ren, and consequently everyone else, so much.

He decided it was time he did something.

***

As Ren lay wrapped in her blanket, staring into space, a small thunk got her attention. She lifted her head to find the source of the strange sound, only to hear it again.

It was then she realized that someone was throwing stones at her window.

Curiosity got the better of her depression, and she pulled the covers off. Making her way to the window, she opened it, looking outside. Her gaze quickly fell to the figure standing outside in the street.

“Y-Yuto?”

The brunette smiled up at her. “Get dressed and come out, quickly!” he said in hushed excitement. “There’s something I want to show you.”

“But- “

“No buts,” he cut her off. “Hurry and come.”

Unable to contend with his enthusiasm, Ren begrudgingly retreated inside her room, swapping her crumpled pyjamas for pants, a shirt and a cardigan. Before she could leave, she almost scared herself by looking in the mirror and seeing just how much of a mess she was. She took a quick moment to brush her hair into something more manageable so that she wouldn’t be walking around town looking like a witch.

Ren made her way outside to where Yuto stood, patiently waiting for her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He held his hand out. “I have something to show you,” he reiterated.

“I-I don’t know whether I’m in the mood…”

“Just come!” he urged enthusiastically.

His energy got her to hesitantly place her hand in his, and then end up being dragged by him. He ignored her protests that somehow escaped her once in a while, only leading her to this thing he was so ready to show.

After about ten minutes of walking, Yuto pulled himself up onto a ledge in a park not too far from the sharehouse. He turned around and held out his hand, urging her to take his help. Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be pulled onto the ledge as well. When she got up, however, her eyes widened at the sight before her eyes.

The park had been situated at the top of a hill, and the area that Yuto had picked gave them a view right down into Tokyo, with the night sky filling the upper 2/3rds of her vision. The trees parted into a clearing that gave her this incredible view, and they framed it. It looked like something straight out of a painting.

She looked up at the sky, her mouth slowly hanging open as she recognized the constellations dotting the dark blue canvas.

“That’s Argo Navis, alright,” Yuto spoke up from beside her.

She turned her head slightly to see him looking up as well, a blissful look in his eyes. “It was under a sky just like this when we all decided to aim for the top together, wasn’t it?” he asked her.

She nodded. “It was at Banri’s farm if I remember,” she recalled. “He told us about why he wanted to join the band.”

“Argonavis was formed under a sky like this,” he said softly. “Since then, the five of us have been through so much, but together, we’ve come out the other side. Just like this,” he waved in front of him. “Just like these stars that look the same whether we’re in Hakodate or Tokyo, Argonavis will always get through any ordeal together.”

She allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. “Yuto, thank you.”

“So that’s why!” She looked up to see him looking at her directly. “Don’t leave us in the dark like this. We can’t bear to watch you suffer any longer.”

She cast her eyes down as a small realization dawned on her. While she’d been wallowing in her own depression all this time, images of the rest came to her, of Banri trying his best to entice her from her room, of Rio diligently making her favorite foods, of Wataru, worrying because she didn’t reply when he’d gently ask to speak with her. She imagined the hurt in his eyes when she’d tell him to go away when he’d knock on her door.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, tears pooling back up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize what I put you guys through!”

“It’s not your fault,” Yuto gently told her, reaching out and cupping her cheek. “I won’t force you to tell us anything you don’t want to, but I also don’t want you to forget what you mean to Argonavis. You’re m- _our…_ precious Ren after all.”

His hand was cool, and it felt good against her warm cheek. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from spilling over.

“So, rely on us, alright?”

Ren choked back a sob as the guilt began to overtake her. No matter how much she was suffering, she shouldn’t have just locked herself away.

“I don’t mind if you don’t tell me anything,” Yuto continued. “But at least talk to Wataru. The poor guy has been worried sick about you.”

“H-he has?” she asked, looking at him.

He nodded. “I have a feeling he’s gained new respect for a certain glasses wearing guy,” he chuckled.

She sniffed a bit. “I’m sorry I worried you guys so much,” she apologized.

Yuto didn’t say anything, just smiling softly at her. His fingers wiped the tears at the edge of her eyes.

“Let’s get back, shall we?”

***

When they returned, they found Wataru up waiting for them.

“About time you two showed up!” the redhead exclaimed. “Do you know what time it even is?”

“Sorry,” Yuto apologized. “Don’t be so mad, Wataru!”

Wataru ignored his friend, instead turning to Ren. “Are you feeling better now?” he asked, worry in his voice as he looked at her red eyes.

She nodded. “A bit, thanks to Yuto.”

Wataru ushered her over to the table, getting her to take a seat and ordering Yuto to bring her a glass of water. Yuto grumbled but decided not to confront the bassist on his fussing over the bluenette. Once he had fetched her water, he straightened up.

“Well, I should probably leave now,” he said, turning. However, he paused when he felt a light tug on his sleeve.

He turned around to find Ren holding onto his shirt sleeve, her gaze down at the water, but a decided red tinting her cheeks. “Please stay,” she said in a small voice.

How could he refuse?

Yuto wordlessly pulled up a chair next to Wataru, who looked between the two with a raised eyebrow. Deciding not to push it, Wataru rested his chin on his folded fingers, giving Ren a kind smile. “Alright, would you like to tell us what happened?”

She nodded, and then told them everything. As she recounted her meeting with Mashu and his terms, the expressions on the boys’ faces changed. Yuto grew absolutely furious while Wataru had a mixture of anger and absolute confusion on his face.

“That bastard!” Yuto slammed the table. “First, he pulls us out of DesFes, then tries to take Ren away from us, and now he threatens to cancel Gyroaxia’s tour?”

“Yu, calm down,” Wataru gently told him.

“Don’t tell me to _fucking_ calm down!” Yuto growled. “This is unacceptable!”

“I’m as angry as you are,” Wataru furrowed his brows. “But we’re not going to be of any help to Ren if we lose our cool when she needs us the most.”

His friend seemed to have gotten through to the brunette, as he sat back down, grumbling under his breath. Ren had her hands folded in her lap, unable to meet her friends’ eyes.

“I-I’m sorry…” she said in a small voice.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Yuto told her.

Wataru hummed. “It wasn’t in your hands,” he assured. “But still…I’m not able to understand why.”

“What do you mean?” Yuto turned to his friend.

“Despite how I feel about it, I can understand that the reason he pulled us out of DesFes back then was to force Ren to sign on with his company,” Wataru reasoned. “That is shitty, but understandable. What reason would he have to break up Nayuta and Ren though?”

“What does it matter?” Yuto flailed his arms. “The point is that he’s a shitty bastard who hurt _both_ Ren and that guy!”

“I know!” Wataru insisted. “But think about it. Doesn’t something feel off about this?”

“I don’t care about any of that!” Yuto yelled. “I care that my friend is hurt!”

“So do I!” Wataru countered. “But what do you plan to do? Storm into his house in the middle of the night?”

Yuto found himself speechless, and Wataru sighed when that essentially told him that the guitarist really had planned to storm into the older man’s home at 2 AM. 

The bassist ran a hand through his hair. “Yu, I understand you completely,” he said in a calm voice. “But right now, we should focus on supporting Ren.”

Yuto turned his head to look at the vocalist, sitting there looking smaller than she normally was, and his heart clenched.

“Ren.”

She looked up, almost having fallen asleep.

Wataru smiled kindly at her. “You should get to bed,” he said. “Thank you for telling us.”

Yuto reached across the table, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Let us know if you need any more help.”

She nodded softly, pushing her chair back. “Good night,” she softly said.

Wataru hummed. “Don’t worry about waking up on time tomorrow,” he informed. “We’ll let Banri and Rio know what happened.”

“Thank you…”

Yuto got up as well. “I’ll escort you,” he said. Even if they all lived together, he had a feeling that the long dark hallways wouldn’t be good for Ren’s mental state right now.

She wordlessly accepted it and he moved to her side. Before he could lead her up the stairs, Yuto cast a look behind him to see Wataru with his arms folded and a grim look on his face, a crease forming between his eyebrows.

It seemed Wataru would need to make a phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the moment isn't right for this, but I really recommend listening to Dreamcatcher's "Can't Get You Outta My Mind" for the first arc of this story!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the situation going out of control, Kenta receives a timely call

The week that followed had Kenta grow ever more worried.

As the days went by, Nayuta seemed even more brash and impulsive than usual, going off on the band for the smallest of things. Reon had been threatened to have his place in Gyroaxia removed at least three times and Kenta swore the dark-haired guitarist was secretly plotting the vocalist’s murder with the insults that had been flung at him.

It was beginning to affect the band.

Nayuta, however, looked like he didn’t care for the harm his words could do, instead just throwing himself into his music. He practised for long hours, with or without the band, with hardly any breaks. Kenta swore he hadn’t seen Nayuta leave before them in days, and one morning had actually caught Nayuta in his clothes from the previous day, signalling that he hadn’t gone back home.

It was a miracle that he even bothered to show up for classes.

Kenta noted that in the ensuing week, there was a distinct absence of the blue-haired vocalist who was Nayuta’s lover.

No, _former_ lover.

With no idea what was going on, he had hoped to catch her and had hence waited for her outside her classes, but she’d been absent for days. None of her classmates had any idea either what happened to her and hence weren’t helpful in the slightest.

Eventually, the redhead gave up and walked to the Literature department, hoping to find his brother.

However, he ran into a certain brunette.

“Kenta-san!”

“Yuto.”

Before he knew it, he found himself confiding in the younger. The two found a place in the hallways that was out of the way of the other students.

“Is it really that bad?” Yuto asked.

Kenta sighed. “He refuses to tell us what happened,” he admitted. “I literally have no idea what’s going on.”

He ran a hand down his face. “I feel like everything’s slipping through my fingers.”

Yuto sighed heavily. “I know the feeling,” he admitted.

Kenta gave him a look so Yuto turned towards the ceiling. “I was there that night.”

“You were?” This was news to him now.

Yuto nodded. “Reon found one of my old things. Our schedules didn’t match so he asked me to drop by the building and pick it up when I had time.” He put his head down. “When I was there…I heard it all.”

Kenta took a deep breath. “Did you learn anything?”

Yuto shook his head. “Nothing. Ren just…well…it wasn’t her, alright!” he exclaimed. “Ren isn’t someone capable of such words. It’s just not her.”

“How is she?”

“She hasn’t left her room all week.”

Kenta pursed his lips. “Makes sense. She and Nayuta were quite close.”

Yuto nodded. “I’ve never seen her like this before,” he admitted. “Heck, she won’t even talk to Wataru!”

“She won’t speak to Wataru?” Kenta asked, surprised. “I was told those two were close?”

“They _are_ ,” Yuto clarified. “Which is why it’s worrying that she won’t talk to him.”

Kenta turned away. It seemed that Ren was just as affected by this, but his worries rested with Nayuta.

“He’s not taking this well, I assume,” Yuto guessed.

“Even worse,” Kenta replied. “At least Nanahoshi grieves. Nayuta doesn’t. He’s hurt deeply, but he can’t let his emotions through, so he’s attacking it with full force.”

“That’s not good, is it?”

Kenta shook his head. “At this rate, I’m worried something bad will happen.”

***

The days went by, and with Nayuta still as tight lipped as ever and the tension in the studio almost boiling over, Kenta almost gave up.

Most of his time ended up being spent trying to helplessly placate the other members into not taking Nayuta’s harsh words too seriously. His remaining time had him worry about Nayuta’s condition.

He worried so much he almost didn’t register his phone ringing. However, it did help to snap him back to reality, and he answered it when he saw who it was.

“What is it, Wataru?”

“Ah, nii-san,” the voice on the phone said. “I came across something you should know.”

“Regarding?”

“Nayuta.” Kenta raised an eyebrow. “Specifically, why Ren broke up with him.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Admit it, it makes no sense, right?” Wataru said. “They were happy. They were getting better at singing too. It made absolutely no sense why she would suddenly break up with him out of the blue.”

Kenta sombrely nodded. Wataru was right, he liked things falling into their logical places. He prided himself on collecting information and then analysing it to bring out the best outcomes. It was how he had kept Gyroaxia in line, and how he had come to become their leader.

But this situation stalled him. For once, the redheaded guitarist had no idea what was going on, why this had happened. And he hated this feeling, like he was wandering around in the dark without his glasses. He felt like his essential lifelines were cut off, especially as he watched Nayuta spiral deeper into his depression, and all he could do was stand and watch.

“So, what did you find?” Kenta asked his brother.

“It was Mashu-san.”

Kenta’s eyes widened. “Wait, what about him?”

“Apparently he paid Ren a visit,” Wataru explained. “Threatened to cancel Gyroaxia’s tour.”

“So, that’s why…”

It all suddenly clicked in Kenta’s mind as the events fell into place. Ren broke up with Nayuta to protect him; the realization dawned on him and he unconsciously clenched his fist.

But why? When both of them were better when they were together, and worse when they were separated? Why separate them if being together would do nothing but benefit both bands, Gyroaxia in particular?

“This still doesn’t make any sense,” Kenta let out a frustrated sigh. “Why would he try to break them apart?”

“I know,” Wataru echoed his concerns. “I keep wondering the same thing too.”

Kenta gave a small hum. “Thanks for the information, Wataru,” he said. “I’ll take it from here.”

“Nii-san, keep me informed.”

“Of course, you’ll be the first to know.”

If he was to be entirely honest, Kenta didn’t care at all what Nayuta got up to in his private life, as long as he still showed up to practice and continued to write for Gyroaxia. However, he couldn’t deny the stark difference between the past Nayuta running on his own and the present Nayuta with Ren at his side. They needed each other to become better, and he would always be the first to acknowledge that.

And then there was the fact that he had an unpayable debt to the bluenette. After all, without her, who knows what might have happened to Gyroaxia?

A thought crossed his mind, perhaps this could be his chance to repay her and Argonavis for all they’d done for them.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren drops a quick visit to Yuto

Yuto had to admit he was caught off guard when a small knock sounded on his door.

_Who could it be at this time of night?_

The only person he could think of was Wataru, yet he had no idea why the bassist would want to see him in private, especially after their last talk before they had departed.

He opened the door, ready to give Wataru a piece of his mind, but paused when he saw a much shorter, decidedly female figure on the other side of the door.

“Ren?”

She smiled shyly. “I wanted to talk,” she said. “Can I come in?”

“Ren, you do know what time it is, right?” Yuto asked. “We have a self-imposed curfew for a reason.”

“I know,” she nodded.

“Somehow I doubt you do,” he narrowed his eyes.

When she stayed silent, he sighed. “You know that if it were anyone else…”

She tilted her head slightly, confused. “It’s Yuto, though,” she stated. “What’s the matter?”

“Ren…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I _am_ a man, you know?”

“But I promise this’ll only take a second!”

She looked so determined that Yuto found himself sighing and letting her in. He was going to regret this later; he knew it well.

Despite his better judgement, he closed the door behind him and moved to his bed, sitting on the edge. “Alright, what’s up?” he asked as she pulled up the small chair he kept beside his guitar.

“I wanted to ask about what Wataru mentioned earlier,” she said. “That something felt off.”

He sighed. “Ah, that…” he trailed off.

“Do you happen to know what he meant by that?”

He looked down. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t think of why he would say that.” He lifted his head, looking at her quizzically. “Have you tried talking to him about it?”

She nodded. “He won’t tell me anything,” she sounded down. “And I thought maybe he talked to you about it.”

“You and I for once are in the same boat,” he informed her. “Wataru’s definitely planning something behind our backs, but the best thing we can do is let him do his thing.”

She exhaled. “I…just…hate this feeling of being left in the dark.”

“So do I.” Another thought then struck him. “You seem to be feeling better, if you’re able to be this worried about an offhanded comment,” he noticed.

“Was it really an offhanded comment though?” she asked.

He met her eyes, and shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he admitted. “But when Wataru’s like this, nothing can stop him. The best we can do right now is to give him his space.”

She sighed, nodding. “I presumed so,” she murmured.

He tilted his head slightly, studying her actions. “You’re quite wound up about this,” he commented. “Is this because of Nayuta?”

She shook her head. “Not entirely,” she admitted. “It’s more because Mashu-san threatened Gyroaxia, and that’s something he’s never done before.”

Yuto hummed. “That is true,” he said.

“They’ve all been so nice to us,” Ren continued. “Kenta-san even looked after Banri when we couldn’t.”

“I understand,” he told her kindly. “Kenta-san and Reon were my friends once. Regardless of what happened in the past between us, I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.”

“It’s why I can’t just sit still,” she said, turning around with a familiar determination in her eyes. “It isn’t just about Nayuta-kun and me anymore. It’s about all of us.”

Yuto leaned back slightly, a smile forming on his face. “Hm? What’s wrong?” she asked upon seeing his expression.

“Nothing,” he grinned. “I’m just relieved that you’ve recovered enough to start worrying like you always do.”

She turned away, a soft smile playing on her lips as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I-I should get going,” she said.

He nodded. “Probably for the best…”

But as she stood up with too much vigor, the back of her shoe caught onto the metal rod lining close to the bottom of the stool. With that, she tripped, as was customary for Ren, and before Yuto could reach out and grab her, she fell forwards.

Right onto the bed…

It was as if time stood still for Yuto as he slowly took in the position the two were now in.

Ren had somehow managed to prevent herself from completely falling face first onto Yuto by placing her hands on either side of him. However, this had put her practically on top of him, with their faces only a few inches apart.

He gulped. _This was exactly what he had feared would happen…_

She seemed just as mortified by their position and looked like she was about to apologize, just like she had done all the other times her clumsiness had caused her to fall onto one of them.

But as Yuto looked into her large, violet eyes, his own glazed over slightly, His gaze flickered between her large violet eyes and her soft, pink lips.

God, she was so close…

Close enough for him to have his way with her…

“Y-Yuto?”

Her confused voice snapped him out of whatever trance he was in and he realized that he was reaching out for her face with his free hand. It was enough for him to gain back enough control of himself so that he could look away. Luckily for him, she also managed to push herself back and away from him.

“You should go,” he said, not looking at her.

“But…”

“Ren, please,” he didn’t know he could sound so desperate. “Go.”

The last one seemed to do the trick as he heard a small hum and then the door click not too long after. He let out a massive sigh and dropped his head into his hands.

“ _Shit_ ,” he cursed. “Shit, shit, shit!”

***

Ren scooted quickly to her room, closing the door behind her. With the door closed, she placed a hand on her chest, surprised to find her heart still beating hard.

_W-what was that…_

It wasn’t the first time her clumsiness had caused her to fall on the guys or make them catch her. Rio was especially known for somehow pulling her out of thin air, and Wataru had once even walked all the way to Submariner holding her hand because he had seen her slip and roll down a hill.

It wasn’t even the first time she had fallen on Yuto, but even that time Yuto had simply fussed over her like the rest of the band tended to do.

This time…was different.

He hadn’t made any attempts to push her off or get her back on her feet, nor did he laugh and chastise her for needing them to constantly watch over her. He just…stared.

And the look that flickered in his eyes made Ren’s heart clench.

It was primal hunger, the same kind of hunger Nayuta always had in his eyes when he truly wanted her. The kind of hunger that could consume her entire being.

She had no idea that Yuto was capable of making such a face.

Yuto. Kind, gentle, positive, upbeat Yuto. Their charismatic leader who was always hyperactive.

_Yuto…_

The person she saw there for a moment…wasn’t Yuto. Wasn’t her Yuto, in the least. She had no idea who that person was.

His words rang through her mind once more.

_“I am a man, you know?”_

An unknown feeling clenched at her heart, a feeling she was unable to describe.

She was well aware that Yuto was quite attractive; all of her friends were. But Yuto stood out, with his good looks, social personality and his sense of fashion, that she could hear whispers about him among the girls all the way in the Law department quite often.

But, Yuto always meant something different to her. He had been her first real friend, the first person in her life who had truly seen her and desired to grow close to her. He would always share that piece of her heart.

And yet, after tonight, Ren began to wonder about something else…

His supposed confession came to her once more. While he had assured her that it was all made up for the purpose of bringing her and Nayuta together, a part of her began to wonder whether he really meant it.

Was it possible that Yuto saw her not just as a vocalist or a friend, but also a woman?

And could she see him as a man?

Her hand slowly curled into a fist where it rested on her heart.

***

_Bonus:_

The first time Yuto had seen Ren was barely in his peripheral vision as he argued loudly with Wataru about what songs to pick at the reception back in Hakodate. As Wataru had gently reminded him that their main purpose was to find a song to cover, Yuto had somewhat spotted a flash of blue in the corner of his eyes.

“We first need to find a vocalist,” Yuto insisted as he sank into the comfortable couch. “A band begins and ends with the vocalist!”

Wataru nodded. “True enough. Usually a band disbands because the vocalist leaves.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

“What kind of vocalist do you want, Yu?” Wataru asked, leaning back.

“Being skilled is a given, but just being skilled alone is not enough.”

“So, the deciding factor is?” Wataru asked. “A male voice or a female voice?”

“I don’t care,” Yuto replied. “As long as they’re an idiot.”

Wataru furrowed his brows. “I don’t like idiots though.”

“Not like that!” Yuto clarified. “Having no other interest other than songs. Even if they’re awkward in other things than singing, I don’t mind. _That_ kind of idiot!”

Wataru leaned forward a bit. “I feel the same. Just like a water-starved traveller in a dry desert, a person who needs singing to live.”

“A desert traveller, huh?” Yuto hummed. “I like it! Let’s get that kind of person onboard our ship!”

The brunette would then leave for a moment to use the restroom while Wataru decided on what songs to sing. While walking down the hallway, faint music would make its way to his ears.

Before he knew it, his feet took him down the hall, searching for the room where that music was coming from. The closer he got to it, the more his heart seemed to beat.

He found himself in front of a room from which emanated a decidedly female voice. A female voice that was powerful, a voice that seemed to grip onto his heart and make unknown feelings bubble in him.

He peeked in and his eyes widened.

What he saw was a girl, around his own age he assumed, with blue curls falling down her back. But what stunned him was that she was singing alone, and that her voice had such volume, such power.

Something clicked in Yuto and he turned, sprinting back towards his room.

“Sorry, you were taking so long I went ahead and chose a song first.”

“Forget about that and come, quickly!”

He dragged the redhead out despite his protests.

“Wait, a hero song?”

“Forget that! Just listen to the song!”

As they ran and got closer to the source of the music, Wataru’s green eyes began to shine. “It’s the desert traveller…” he realized.

Yuto grinned, glad that Wataru was on the same page as him. “Let’s go get her on board!”

He threw open the door with a loud “This is fate!”

“Listen to me,” he said, throwing his hands on the girl’s shoulders and looking at her intently, “you’re a traveller.”

“…Traveller?”

“Yeah. A water-starved traveller wandering around in a dry desert. But that ends today. Today, you will be getting on our ship!”

“I…I don’t understand.”

“Of course she won’t understand! Explain things in order, won’t you? Also be more gentle, Yu. She’s a girl for God’s sake!”

“Okay. One; you are amazing. Two, you can sing really awesome songs. Three, you are the desert traveller we’ve been looking for. Four, you’re an idiot!” Yuto sounded way too excited about the last point.

“I don’t really get it, but thanks?” she asked hesitantly.

“That last one wasn’t a compliment though,” Wataru sighed.

“Wha-? It was!” Yuto insisted.

He furiously turned back to the girl in front of him, looking increasingly more confused and overwhelmed at his energy.

“My name is Goryo Yuto, and this is Matoba Wataru. What’s your name?”

“Huh?”

“Your name?”

Her violet eyes grew a little wider and Yuto could swear his heart just skipped a beat.

“N-Nanahoshi…Ren.”

“Ren…” he repeated. A strange feeling overcame him as her name rolled off his tongue.

“That’s a nice name. We’re currently forming a band, and for that, we need your singing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick bonus scene! I really wanted to adapt the Yuto/Ren/Wataru first meeting into my own fic!


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A grieving Nayuta pushes himself to the brink.

Nayuta breathed heavily, bent over his microphone, the sweat dripping onto the hardwood floor.

 _This wasn’t his limit_ , he thought angrily. This couldn’t be his limit. He had surpassed it before.

But that was when he had Ren in his life…

_No._

“I’ll surpass myself,” he said fervently to himself.

He forced himself to continue to sing, just so that he wouldn’t think about Ren anymore.

_Ren…_

_No!_

He ran through the piece again, trying to make his voice come out stronger and more powerful. However, he quickly ran out of breath and found himself once again hunched over the mic, his breaths heavier and deeper than usual. The sound that had begun to come out of his mouth in order to compensate for the lack of breath made both inhaling and exhaling a chore. Even then, bringing oxygen in seemed much harder than usual.

The increasingly tinier sane part of his brain began to ring the alarms. _Something was wrong,_ his mind screamed at him. _Stop it!_

Yet, he couldn’t.

Because if he stopped…his mind would be full of thoughts of Ren.

He wanted her, _needed_ her at his side again. He _needed_ to see her face when he woke up in the morning. He _needed_ to receive the heart-warming texts she’d send him throughout the day. He _needed_ to see her, feel her, touch her again.

He shook his head.

_No._

She’d abandoned him.

Just like everyone else had.

He’d thought she’d be different. After all, she was the singer who had stirred his heart. He thought the promise they made that night would last forever.

But no.

Just like everyone else, she had thrown him away.

She was human.

Humans abandoned him. Music never would.

He was naïve to think that what they had could last.

_Worthless._

_Useless._

_The kid won’t ever sing!_

No matter.

He had his music.

Music would always be there for him.

He ignored it all. He ignored his voice on the verge of giving out. He ignored the wheezing sounds emerging from his mouth. He ignored the way his chest was beginning to tighten.

He ignored everything and continued to sing.

He could take anything.

Anything but more thoughts of Ren.

However, when Kenta later dropped by the studio to check on the vocalist, he would find Nayuta on the ground.

***

_“Nayuta had an asthma attack.”_

Kenta’s words over the phone flashed through Ren’s mind as she stepped up to the line of hospital rooms.

She had been with Yuto and Wataru when he had received the call from his brother. Finding his request to put him on speaker so that he could speak to her was quite odd, Wataru thought, but nevertheless obliged. His next words had caused shock to go through all three of them, and Ren had felt her blood run cold.

Kenta had hung up after telling them where the hospital was, and Yuto had grabbed her hand.

“Go,” was what he told her.

Wataru had rushed with her to the hospital, but had elected to wait outside, citing how it was more important for _her_ to see Nayuta right then, not him.

When she finally upon the room with the name “Asahi Nayuta” written on it, her heart dropped.

_What if…something really bad had happened to him?_

Before she could knock on the door however, it opened, and Kenta stood there. “Good, you’re here,” he said. “Come in. He’s asking for you.”

“What happened?” she asked him as he stood aside to let her through.

“I’ll tell you the details later,” he assured her. “For now, go see him. He won’t calm down unless he sees you.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was quite violent with the emergency staff and refused to take his rescue inhaler, so they had to sedate him,” Kenta explained. “He’s still a bit awake though. I was hoping you could convince him to rest.”

Questions upon questions rested on the tip of her tongue. How could this happen? How long has this been happening? Why wasn’t he following orders?

All of them vanished, however, when her eyes fell upon the figure on the bed.

_Nayuta…_

He lay in the bed, an oxygen mask on his face and IV tubes running from his arms. His white hair was messier than usual, and his eyes were half-lidded. His face looked paler, highlighted even more by the deep bags under his eyes. As for his eyes, his regular fiery red was gone, and he stared blankly up at the ceiling. A large machine beside the bed gently beeped and his chest rose and fell slowly.

It was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

Yet, in spite of his current situation, he still recognized her when he saw her.

“Ren…”

His voice that came out was hoarse and soft, unlike the gruff voice she had gotten used to hearing. It hit her right in her soul and she pushed away the lump beginning to form in her throat as she pulled up a chair to sit beside him.

“You came…” he stated, almost as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Of course I came,” she said, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice. “How could I not, after hearing what happened to you?”

“You left me before…” Her heart clenched at his words. “Wouldn’t be too hard for you to leave me again…”

She didn’t reply lest she break down in front of him. “H-how did this happen?” she asked, gesturing to his state. “Why did you do this to yourself, Nayuta-kun?”

“You weren’t here…” His answer made her breath hitch in her throat. “I needed to surpass myself…”

“Nayuta-kun…”

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, but she blinked them away, instead pushing her hand into his. “Nayuta-kun, you should rest and recover your voice,” she advised as his fingers slowly wrapped around her hand. “If you rest, you’ll be able to come out of the hospital!”

Ren forced herself to sound upbeat, but the truth was, seeing him like this was breaking her heart.

“If I sleep…will you leave…?” he asked, his eyes dropping off.

“I…um…”

His weak grip tightened ever so slightly around her hand. “Don’t…go…” he trailed off. “Don’t…leave me alone…too.”

“I won’t.”

The lack of hesitation in her voice scared the rational part of her brain. But at this moment, the only thing that mattered was watching Nayuta slowly drift off to sleep, his breathing slowing ever so slightly. As he fell off to sleep, assisted by the sedatives administered to him, his grip on her hand loosened, until it was just laying open on the bed.

She put her free hand over her mouth to hide a small sob as she pulled her hand away. As she slowly got up and walked towards the door, she stopped and turned around.

Nayuta looked so weak, so vulnerable. His voice, his touch was different, laced with desperation, as if he were going to dissipate into thin air lest she wasn’t around.

She felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

“Come,” Kenta told her. “We need to talk.”

As if all she needed was a comforting hand, Ren doubled over and let the tears fall, not caring who it was she was breaking down in front of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo yeah I went there


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenta and Ren have a revealing and important talk

“Here,” Kenta said, handing her his handkerchief. “If you need anything else, let me know.”

“T-thank you…”

He sat down next to her, patiently waiting for her to wipe her eyes and collect herself from the little hiccups she was having. Once she had sufficiently calmed down, she put her head down, unable to look the elder redhead in the eyes.

“I-I’m sorry you had to see me like that…”

“Forget it,” he waved it off. “Not like I can fault you for something that’s completely natural.”

She gave another small sniff and he leaned back against the back of the wall.

“We need to talk,” he reiterated.

She nodded. This was it. Kenta was going to go off on her and tell her how much she had hurt Nayuta, and that they should have never gotten together in the first place-

“I apologize.”

_Huh?_

“I kept this from you when I should have told you from the start,” Kenta continued. “You should not have had to find out like this.”

“F-find out what?” She dreaded the answer from the moment she got the phone call.

“Nayuta has asthma,” Kenta revealed. “Although you probably pieced it together from when I told you on the phone.”

It surprised her. “A-asthma?” she asked. “But he’s always so- “

He nodded. “He was asthmatic as a child, but he’s controlled it through exercise and pure determination,” he informed.

“If he’s sick then why does he push himself so much?” Ren wondered, her throat beginning to clog up again. _He’s been suffering like this for years…_

“It’s generally not this bad,” Kenta said. “He doesn’t normally push himself to this extent. He only does it when he’s very disturbed.”

“Disturbed?”

“Before he met you, I told you he was damaging his body, right?” Kenta turned his head towards her. “He was on the verge of another attack then.” Her heart went slightly cold. “But you brought him back to sanity. And then…now…”

She looked down, her eyes falling on her folded hands in her lap. “I-I never knew he suffered so much!” she exclaimed. “But why? Why did he go overboard? Just because I wasn’t at his side?”

“Yes.”

Her head whipped up to meet Kenta’s serious gaze.

“I don’t think you understand just how much you mean to Nayuta.”

“Huh?”

Kenta sighed deeply. “Nayuta…didn’t have a loving family growing up,” he explained. “His father abandoned his family because of his asthma. Because of that, Nayuta grew up convinced that he was alone in the world. It’s primarily where his rage comes from, and his drive for music. He wants to take the world by storm with his music, and he convinced himself he’d do it with his own power.”

_Nayuta-kun…_

“Because of that he’s kept everyone at a distance, including me,” Kenta continued. “To him, relationships are a weakness and just delay him reaching his inevitable goals. It’s why he can casually throw anyone away who doesn’t help him reach that end. And just to make sure we won’t bog him down; he keeps his distance so that he can cut us off if needed.”

“That’s…harsh…” Ren slowly commented.

“But that makes you,” he pointed at her, “the first person he’s let inside in his entire life. You’re the first person he opened his heart to, the first person he let his guard down around, the first person he was vulnerable around.”

She continued to stare at him as the tears began to pool back in her eyes.

“Because he let you into his heart, he got better,” Kenta explained. “He took breaks, rested his voice, didn’t push himself. Music came to him much easier than before too. Hence, those heights he dreamed of reaching, he was getting closer, because he had you at his side.”

At that moment, the night Nayuta told her that he expected her to stand at that summit with him flashed in her mind clear as day.

“Of course, that’s how powerful love can be,” Kenta commented, leaning back against the wall with his arms behind his head. “But it’s also a double-edged sword. The same love that can be a source of strength can also become your biggest weakness.”

Ren folded her hands across her lap. “So…the reason Nayuta-kun drove himself to this…was because he thought I abandoned him like his father…” she trailed off.

He hummed. “Essentially, yes,” he agreed.

Her hands balled into fists, a tear drop falling on her left wrist. “I-I’m so sorry…” she tightly closed her eyes, bringing her hands up to cover her face in shame. “I-If I hadn’t broken up with Nayuta-kun…”

Kenta sighed. “It wasn’t in your hands, I know.”

She took a moment to register that. _Wait…he knew? How?_

Her eyes widened behind her hands as it clicked in her mind. _Wataru, of course!_

“From what my brother tells me, I can’t imagine your actions came out of the blue,” Kenta told her. “I’ll look into it on my end, so don’t fret.”

He got up. “K-Kenta-san!”

“Hm?”

“Why would you go so far for us?” she asked softly. “I’m not even in your band, and plus, I hurt Nayuta-kun. Why would you still…?”

He gave her a soft reassuring smile.

“I’m just repaying a debt.”

***

He stepped outside to see Wataru leaning against the van, a worried look on his face. Upon seeing him, the younger redhead straightened.

“Nii-san.”

Kenta sighed. “Thanks for coming as quickly as you did,” he told the younger.

“No worries. I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t, Ren would have run all the way here,” Wataru joked, trying to make light of the situation. However, when he saw the grim look on his brother’s face, his own smile fell.

“Nii-san,” Wataru asked, his voice more serious. “Is it that bad?”

Kenta nodded. “If I hadn’t been aware of his asthma and prepared an emergency kit just in case…” He let it trail off, but the implication was heavy enough that it didn’t need to be said.

“Did he tell you that he was asthmatic?” Wataru wondered.

Kenta shook his head. “He doesn’t tell anybody anything,” he sighed. “He probably didn’t want us to know his weakness. After all, if we knew, we’d probably pity him and baby him, and he hates that more than anything.”

“So how did you find out?”

Kenta sighed, leaning his head back and looking at the sky. “Information is my skill, Wataru,” he said. “As leader, it was my duty to make sure I knew everything about Nayuta. So yes, I peeked at his early medical records back when I formed Gyroaxia.”

“You’re sneaky, nii-san.”

“In a way, I’m glad I did, because Nayuta’s the kind of person who won’t admit to a weakness even when he’s in the deepest of trouble.”

It was Wataru’s turn to sigh. “Does he still think Ren…?”

Kenta nodded. “I wasn’t able to get the chance to pass along your message,” he said. “But now I think I’ll look into it a bit further. Something feels off about all this.”

“What will you do?”

“I’m not very powerful, but I do have some key connections I could reach out to,” Kenta explained.

At that moment, a sound made the two look back up to the hospital. Standing on the stairs, still sniffing slightly, was Ren.

Kenta nodded to her, giving his brother a quick squeeze on the shoulder before walking away.

“Nii-san.”

“Hm?”

“Be careful.”

Kenta smiled. “Of course.”

***

Kenta left just as Ren reached Wataru.

“That was Kenta-san?” she asked softly.

Wataru nodded. “He’s going to be staying here with Nayuta, so don’t worry.”

He smiled, hoping to bring up her spirits, but the look on her face made him sober up. It seemed neither his brother nor his friend were in the mood for jokes.

“How is he, Ren?” he finally asked.

She rubbed her arms that were a bit chilly since she hadn’t had the time to grab her jacket before rushing over here. But now it was quite cold in the nights, and she was beginning to regret her decision to skip a warm jacket.

Luckily, Wataru noticed and was quick to remove his outer jacket and put it on her.

“He’s…sleeping now,” she said.

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

She nodded, but just couldn’t bring herself to smile. The redhead sighed as he studied her red eyes.

“Ren…”

“I did this to him, Wataru,” she said. “He’s here because of me.”

“Ren, you can’t possibly blame yourself for this.”

“But it’s true!” She raised her voice for a moment. “If I hadn’t broken up with him, he wouldn’t have done this to himself!”

The tears began to pool back in her eyes and she blinked them away. “If…if only I had fought harder for him. I’ve fought for what I love before. I fought for Yuto, I fought for Argonavis, I fought for Banri. I should have fought for Nayuta-kun too.”

He exhaled before placing his hands on her arms. “Ren, listen to me,” he said firmly, waiting until she finally looked at him before continuing.

“There was nothing you could have done,” he said. “This has been nothing like we’ve faced before. You didn’t have a choice!”

“But…”

“You did it because you were thinking of him, right?” Wataru insisted. “Doesn’t that show how much you care for him. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

She sniffed slightly. Just as she closed her eyes to wipe off the last of her tears, she felt Wataru’s comforting hand on her head.

“Let’s get you home, shall we?” he asked kindly. “I bet Yuto’s worried about you.”

She didn’t have the energy to correct him that Yuto would be worried about the both of them, just nodding and allowing him to lead her back to the van.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I've finally decided how long this fic is going to be! I've written out almost all of the remaining chapters, so expect about one chapter a day till its over!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wataru updates Yuto and Kenta finds himself at a dead end

“So, that’s the situation right now.”

Yuto leaned back in his chair, his lips set in a firm line as Wataru recounted their sudden trip to the hospital. The brunette fixed his eyes on the ceiling as he went through all the information in his head.

He sighed. “That guy…” he trailed off. “What is he, five? Doing this to himself just because he’s nursing a broken heart?”

“Don’t be so quick to judge, Goryo,” Rio calmly pointed out beside him.

Yuto scoffed. “Since when were you on _his_ side?”

“I’m not,” Rio replied curtly. “But my personal feelings don’t change the facts. And the fact is that right now, Asahi Nayuta is in the hospital ae having suffered an asthma attack.”

Banri shrugged. “I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do with this information, however,” he said. “After all, he’s not in our band.”

“He’s still a colleague,” Rio said. “It is imperative that we offer our support.”

“Actually,” Wataru piped up.

At once, Rio and Banri set their eyes on him. Yuto continued to look up, closing his eyes, but Wataru knew him well enough to know he was still listening.

“My brother has requested that we keep our distance.”

“Kenta-san said that?” Yuto asked, his eyes opening.

Wataru nodded. “He’s asked that we leave the matter to him to handle. He’s worried that our interference may cause bigger issues.”

“Is Nanahoshi allowed to visit, in the least?” Rio questioned, furrowing his brows.

“No.”

It was Ren’s turn to be stared at. “Kenta-san requested I keep my distance from Nayuta-kun for the time being.”

She looked down, her hands curling into fists where they lay on her lap. “And I think it’ll be good for me too to take a break from him.”

Rio raised an eyebrow and shot Wataru a look, which the latter motioned that he would tell him later. “I do think it will be helpful if you took some time to recuperate,” the keyboardist said. “You should keep away from practice from the time being.”

Ren nodded. At this point, with everything going on, she didn’t have the urge to sing anyway. “I think that’ll be good.”

Banri sighed, leaning back with his arms behind his head. “Just don’t blame me if she falls behind the rest of us.”

Rio ignored him, getting to his feet. “I shall get started on dinner, then,” he proclaimed and left to take control of the kitchen.

Banri murmured something about accounts and retired to his room, leaving Yuto, Wataru and Ren still at the table.

Ren gave a big sigh, causing Wataru to turn to her. “It’s been a very stressful week for you,” he said. “Go to bed. We’ll handle the rest.”

She had been in the middle of supressing a yawn and simply nodded. She didn’t have the energy anymore to protest, simply pulling herself up to her feet and leaving for her room.

Yuto watched her leave with a concerned look on his face.

“You should go too, Yu,” Wataru told him. “It’s going to be some time before dinner.”

“Hey, Wataru?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did Kenta-san tell Ren to keep away from Nayuta?”

Wataru shrugged. “How should I know?” he asked, dropping a cookie he had salvaged when Rio wasn’t looking in his mouth. “I never know what he’s thinking.”

However, he was surprised when Yuto stood up and leaned over the table, clasping his hand around the table edges. This put him in Wataru’s direct line of sight and his face within a few inches of the other.

Yuto fixed the redhead with his questioning gaze, blue eyes staring into green, as if he was trying to will the truth out of him.

“Please be honest with me,” he said softly. “Is…is Ren in danger? Is that why he won’t let her see him?”

Wataru hesitated for a fraction of a moment, but it was a moment that Yuto had caught. “No,” he said. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Don’t lie to me, Wataru.”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

The two stared each other down, neither willing to relent.

Eventually, Yuto sighed and pulled away. “Sorry,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just really worried.”

“I know,” Wataru echoed his sigh.

“I was just thinking about everything you’ve said before,” the guitarist continued. “If something is going on, have Nayuta and Ren somehow pissed off the wrong people? If that’s true, then Ren is in serious trouble.”

Wataru cast his eyes down to the table. “I know what you mean,” he said. “Ren’s like a sister to me. The last thing I want is her getting hurt or being unable to protect her.”

Yuto turned to him just as Wataru lifted his head. “So, we’re on the same page then,” he stated. “Both of us want only what’s best for Ren.”

Wataru nodded, wondering where he was going with this.

“So this means, that if it’s really that serious, that you’d keep me in the loop?” Yuto asked.

Wataru exhaled, giving the other a small smile. “I don’t think it’s that serious,” he said. “And yeah, I’ll keep you informed.”

Yuto nodded. “Alright,” he seemed to have been convinced by Wataru. Well, he almost always was. “I’ll be in my room then. Call me when it’s time for dinner.”

When Yuto finally left Wataru alone at the table, the redhead slumped back into his chair, his energy drained.

Perhaps his beating heart and cold chills had something to do with the fact that he had just lied to his best friend.

_The truth is, Yu, I don’t know. But if nii-san’s hunch is right, then Ren might be in serious danger. And then, so would you._

***

“Understood,” Kenta spoke into his phone as he stood outside the building. “Thank you for the information.”

He hung up and put the phone down, turning to the sky and letting out a deep sigh. In the chilly night air, his breath came out in a very light fog.

“Another dead end,” he murmured to himself.

It was quite frustrating. He’d been chasing this lead for three days now, and like every other lead he’d pursued, it had ended up going nowhere.

Kenta felt he was running around in circles.

He sighed heavily once more.

“Oh, Kenta.”

The redhead turned around to find Miyuki standing behind him, holding a duffel bag.

“Miyuki?”

The drummer held up the bag in his hand. “I brought the clothes as you wanted.”

Kenta nodded. “Thank you. You may leave it there.”

Miyuki hummed, dropping the bag beside the pavement. “Well, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll get going.”

Kenta nodded at first, his gaze fixed on the street in front of him. However, just as Miyuki turned to leave, Kenta’s voice stopped him.

“Actually,” the leader spoke up. “Can I ask your advice?”

“Oh?” Miyuki asked, a bit surprised. “The ever capable Satozuka Kenta asking _me_ for help? It must be my lucky day.”

Kenta ignored his jibes, just continuing. “If I’ve been running into dead ends everywhere I go, then what does it mean? How do I overcome it?”

Miyuki raised an eyebrow. “You sound like a detective from a drama or something,” he commented. Of course, he, along with the rest of Gyroaxia, had been unaware of Kenta’s pursuits.

“Just answer the question.”

Miyuki folded his arms across his chest, pursing his lips thoughtfully. “I suppose I’d look for zero connections.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it,” Miyuki said. “If looking for logical connections only leads you nowhere, then wouldn’t you start looking elsewhere? No connections at all?”

Kenta watched him, not saying a word.

“It’s like, if I had a box,” Miyuki mimed a box in front of him. “And I had to open it. If I was trying to open it only from the inside, I’d find that everywhere I turn there’s a dead end, right? A blank wall with no openings.”

Kenta nodded. While the box metaphor was confusing, he had quite a lot of experience putting up with things beyond his understanding.

“So, what do you do? You look for a way in from the outside,” Miyuki stated. “And then suddenly, you can open the box with a cutter!”

Kenta held his chin for a moment. “What you’re saying is…”

“If you can’t open the box from the inside, then open it from the outside!”

Miyuki really liked this box metaphor.

However, despite how stupid it sounded, a small realization made its way into the redhead’s mind. His eyes widened slightly behind his glasses and his lips pulled up into a smirk.

Miyuki noticed. “You’re smiling,” he said. “So that means you just had an epiphany!”

“I did,” Kenta acknowledged. “Thanks to you.”

He grabbed his phone and dialled a number, walking away so he was out of earshot. Behind him, Miyuki gave a small chuckle before turning around.

Right now, Kenta couldn’t be stopped even if he tried.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Yuto have a midnight talk. Kenta makes his move.

When Ren trudged slowly to the living room, her distorted sleep schedule somehow having woken her up at an ungodly hour of the morning before the sun had even risen, she found she wasn’t alone.

“Y-Yuto?”

The band leader turned to her, a bottle of Napolin in his hand. He gave her an acknowledging nod.

“You’re up quite early,” he commented.

“I’ve been sleeping too much,” she replied soberly. It was true, her long hours of sleep in the daytime had done nothing but make her feel worse rather than well rested.

“What about you? Isn’t it too early for you too?” she asked.

He nodded. “I couldn’t sleep for some reason.”

“So you’re drinking Napolin before the sun is even up?”

He pointed his near empty bottle at her. “Hey, it’s not alcohol, so its free real estate.”

As she chuckled at his joke, Yuto gestured for her to come and sit on the couch. When she took her seat in front of him, he paused for a moment to finish his drink.

It was then that the memories of what happened between them a couple of nights ago flooded back to her.

Less than 72 hours ago, they were in quite compromising positions for their relationship.

And now here she was, sitting with him.

With only one small nightlight bringing any illumination.

She had no idea how to react.

“It’s quite awkward, isn’t it?” he asked, sighing softly. “I miss the times before it became like this.”

She nodded. “I do too.” Because despite everything that had happened between them, Yuto would always be her friend.

“Yuto,” she began. “About that night.”

He waved his hand. “Don’t mention it,” he said. “Besides, nothing really happened anyway.”

“But…” she twiddled her thumbs as the memory of the look on his face came back to her. She really wanted to ask the question that had been burning in her heart since then. “Yuto, do you actually like me?”

He stopped her with a look. “Do you really want to know that?” he asked.

She was about to nod when she paused. _What did she want?_

What would the answer to her question change? Was she even interested in Yuto in that way? Sure, he had momentarily made her heart beat faster the way Nayuta did, but she could never think of him that way. The Yuto in her heart would always be her first friend.

And besides, a part of her had no idea whether she could share the kind of connection she had with Nayuta, with anyone else.

She shook her head.

Yuto smiled softly. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to,” he kindly advised, although if she was to listen further, she might have heard a slight pang of pain in his voice.

“But, what about you?”

He brushed it off with a wave of his hand. “Heh, don’t worry. I know it was an accident. I won’t hold you to anything.” He put his bottle down. “After all, you’re still a dear friend to me.”

She allowed herself to smile a little, gaze rising from the ground to his chair. Perhaps, the two of them would be fine…

“Are you worried about him?”

She looked up and nodded. It honestly didn’t strike her how quickly she had known exactly who Yuto was talking about without even a name. “I want to do something, but I don’t know what.”

He sighed. “We’re all in the same position,” he admitted. “As much as I didn’t like the guy, the last thing I wanted was for him to end up in the hospital.”

She clenched her fists, refusing to let more tears fall. “I didn’t know it would be like this,” she said. “We were supposed to have broken up. Why am I so worried about him?”

“Because feelings don’t just go away regardless of your actions.”

She looked up at him, the look in his eyes recognizable. However, it seemed he understood her way too well. “W-what?”

“You didn’t break up with him because you grew out of love, you broke up with him because you were forced,” Yuto said. “You still care enough for him that you’ve worried for him all this time, and the moment something happened to him, you rushed to his side.”

She nodded. “I…I suppose I still love him.”

Yuto smiled softly. “But, Yuto. Did you come up with that?”

He shook his head. “Wataru told me that a while ago,” he grinned.

“Wataru did?” she asked. Her gaze fell to her hands. “He’s really amazing, huh?”

Yuto nodded. “That guy’s quite wise sometimes,” he said.

“You really trust him, don’t you?”

“I trust him with my life.”

She couldn’t help but smile at that. Absentmindedly, she turned her head to the window, and he did the same. Somehow, the cloudy sky outside obscuring the stars made her frown slightly.

“It’s quite unclear today.”

“It certainly is.”

Yuto turned back to her, seeing the look in her eyes. “Ren?”

“Somehow…I want to sing.”

***

“Asahi-san, you really must rest!”

“Alright! Alright!”

Nayuta fixed the exasperated nurse with a scowl as she tugged at the notebook in his hands. The last time he had tried to fight with her, he had ended up with a coughing fit that had the staff on edge in case it was another attack.

He let her take the book from him and set it on the table, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t let her know how much he hated hospital practices.

She forced him back onto a laying position, insisting on turning off the light for the night. Grumpily, he allowed her to do so.

As he lay in the bed, his gaze lifted to the window above him.

He pursed his lips at the way he couldn’t see the stars that night.

“Quite unclear tonight,” he murmured to himself.

Despite the ache in his heart, he recalled the sky he had seen on top of that building with Ren, the night they had made a promise to each other to stand at the apex together. The stars that night had been clear enough that he could pinpoint constellations among the twinkling lights.

Vaguely, he recalled Ren’s words, words of a same sky regardless of location.

He wondered whether somehow, Ren was looking up at the same sky he was tonight.

***

“Come in,” Mashu called.

When he turned around at the door’s soft click, he was treated to the scene of a calm Kenta standing before him. However, considering the way his fists were clenched, he surmised that there was quite a storm brewing behind that calm glance the younger was showing.

“Satozuka,” he said. “I didn’t expect you. What brings you to my office this late at night?”

Kenta exhaled a bit. “I came to update you of Nayuta’s condition.”

Mashu nodded, putting the phone back down. “How is Asahi?”

“Doing better,” Kenta stated. “No thanks to you, of course.”

The elder raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to imply something, Satozuka?” he asked in a low voice.

“I know it was you who threatened Nanahoshi Ren.”

Mashu paused at that. “Oh really?” he asked, recovering quickly. “And how did you arrive to that conclusion?”

“Oh, I’m sure you won’t find it hard to guess.”

The grey-haired man fixed his sly eyes on the younger. “So, what if I was?”

Kenta clenched his fist a little harder. “It means that the reason Nayuta is in a hospital bed right now is because of you,” he said slowly.

Mashu sighed, placing his hand on the side table and leaning against it slightly. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I had no idea Asahi would react like this.”

“I bet you didn’t.”

Mashu narrowed his eyes. “I do not actually _wish_ to cause my artists harm, you know?”

“I’m aware.”

That seemed to catch Mashu’s attention. “You are?”

Kenta nodded. “I also know that everything you do, you do on the orders of the people on top.”

“Then I hope you realize- “

“But I also know that this time, you weren’t working on the orders of the higher ups.”

Mashu froze slightly. “H-how did you know?”

“I pulled a few strings.”

“How so?”

“Your orders came from someone outside the company,” the younger continued. “Because when I used my connections to pull a favour, I found that hardly any of the higher ups in the company were even aware of Nayuta and Nanahoshi’s relationship. The ones who were aware couldn’t care less as long as Nayuta kept making good music. No one in the company had any reason to break those two up.”

Mashu’s eyes widened slightly as he began to piece together everything the younger had told him.

It seemed that during all those galas that he had dragged Asahi and Satozuka to, while Asahi had been getting into trouble and getting on the bad side of everyone with his arrogance, Satozuka had been working behind the scenes to create connections that could surpass his manager.

He’d caught him fair and square this time.

He let a small smirk play on his lips.

“Well played, Satozuka,” he acknowledged the younger.

However, Kenta wasn’t pleased by the praise. “Who was it?” he questioned. “Who gave that order?”

Mashu set his lips in a firm line. “That’s not information that can be readily divulged,” he said in an icy tone.

Kenta sighed. “Well, I suppose it was worth a shot,” he said, defeated. Unlike Nayuta, the redhead knew when to admit defeat.

“Good day, Mashu-san,” he said, turning to leave.

Before he could step out of the office however, Kenta paused and looked over his shoulder. “Mashu-san.”

“What is it, Satozuka?”

“Despite what you may think, I care deeply for the band I made through trial and error,” Kenta said. “If you _ever_ threaten this band again, I won’t hold back.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Mashu said, waving his hands to tell the younger to vacate his office at once.

***

Mashu picked up the phone once more, letting a smirk pull at his lips.

“Hello?”

“It’s Mashu.”

“Ah, yes. How goes it?”

“I’m afraid your plan has come to a halt.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t be able to do anymore. I apologize.”

“Hah?”

“It seems I’ve been found out,” Mashu grinned lightly.

“And how did you let yourself be found out that easily?”

“I suppose I underestimated the lengths his friends would go to for him,” Mashu turned a bit, looking at the closed door.

“This will be the end of our association now. And before I cut off, might I say something? I believe you underestimated him too.”

“Did I now?”

“You were afraid he’d catch up to you, weren’t you? Which is why you tried to break him? However, it won’t work.”

“You seem quite confident.”

Mashu nodded. “Your son _will_ surpass you, because he found something you never did.”

“And what might that be?”

Mashu chuckled darkly. “Why not face him head on and find out?”

Saying so, the grey-haired man finally cut the call and made a few strides over to the window.

The window of his office covered an entire wall and provided him with quite a view of the city. Mashu stood there, looking over the bright lights of a busy city and thoughtfully sipped his coffee.

“I suppose I’ll be betting on him now,” he mused. “Don’t let me down, Asahi.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the worst behind them, Argonavis decide to do something to help Nayuta

Wataru nodded. “Thanks, nii-san. Keep me updated.”

Hanging up the phone, he turned around to the expectant gazes fixated on him, one from a pretty intense bluenette.

“Well?” Ren asked the moment his phone touched the table.

Wataru chuckled slightly. “Nayuta’s recovering well!” he announced with a thumbs up. “According to nii-san, he should be able to get back to singing just in time for the tour!”

A wave of relieved sighs went around the four waiting.

Yuto turned to the redhead. “And the… _other_ thing?” he asked.

“It’s been dealt with,” Wataru said. “Mashu-san won’t get in their way anymore.”

Ren heaved another sigh as it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “That’s a big relief!” she exclaimed.

Wataru nodded. “It is,” he said. “And now with that out of the way, we can focus on our live with no distractions!”

Rio let out a small sigh, catching Wataru’s attention. “Something wrong, Kikyo?”

“Nothing,” he waved it off. “Just…”

“Spill, Rio-kun!”

“I’m not sure how I feel about how helpless we were during the whole thing,” Rio admitted.

A murmur of approval went around the table. “It was definitely way too messed up,” Banri agreed. “I really didn’t like that we basically did nothing.”

Wataru sighed. “Not like we had a choice,” he pointed out. “We put one foot out of line and who knows what would have happened to Argonavis.”

“Besides,” Yuto piped up. “We had more pressing concerns. We needed to support Ren before anyone else.”

Rio cast an apologetic look towards the vocalist. “I still feel like we didn’t do enough,” he said. “Sorry, Nanahoshi.”

She quickly shook her head. “N-no, really, don’t worry about it!”

“We still feel bad!” Banri exclaimed. “Especially what you’ve done for us, we couldn’t give you the same support when you needed us the most.”

“I mean it!” Ren replied. “You guys did help me out a lot, even though I didn’t get to thank you yet.”

Rio and Banri shared a look which told Wataru that they would accept it reluctantly, even though they were still quite wracked with guilt. He could say that he actually shared their sentiments. The bassist hadn’t done much himself, other than fret and worry.

The person who had actually brought Ren out of her slump was Yuto.

He turned his head slightly to look at their leader, who had been watching the proceedings with a grim look on his face. Far from the positive, upbeat guitarist they all knew.

“I can understand,” Yuto said. “Especially since even after everything’s over, it still feels like there’s nothing we can do to help.”

“And this coming from someone who isn’t the biggest fan of Asahi,” Rio soberly nodded.

“Actually.”

The four boys turned around to look at Ren, now with her hands on the table and a determined look in her amethyst eyes.

“There might still be something we can do.”

“Oh?” Yuto asked. “What’s that?”

“Something we do best.”

***

“So,” Nayuta stated, sitting back against the pillow, “Mashu was behind everything?”

Kenta nodded. “It’s been dealt with, so don’t worry about it anymore,” he told the other, offering him a water bottle. “I’ve also been feeding Nyankotarou while you were here.”

Nayuta accepted the bottle. “Thanks,” he said in a small voice.

“What was that?”

“Thanks…for doing all this.”

Nayuta had his head turned away, his cheeks flushed. The way he looked brought a smile to Kenta’s face.

“Of course,” the redhead said. “After all, you’re my friend.”

Nayuta ignored the comment, so Kenta cleared his throat and quickly switched the subject. “Argonavis has a live today, by the way.”

“They do, now?” Nayuta murmured.

Kenta nodded. “I think it’s also being broadcast live.” He turned to Nayuta, gesturing towards the TV that was mounted on the wall of his hospital room. “Would you like to watch?”

“Whatever.”

Nayuta was sick and tired of looking at this TV. During his recovery, the TV had been his only source of entertainment since he was prevented from doing anything that strained him too much. He’d counted on Kenta to bring him some stuff so he could get back in the habit of singing, but the elder had adamantly refused.

So he’d been restricted to watching the random shows that the hospital would play as well as the news. In the last two weeks, Nayuta had learned more about politics than he had ever wanted to learn in his life.

Hence, when Kenta had bargained with the hospital staff to connect the internet to his TV with a written promise that Nayuta would rest, he jumped at the chance to watch some actual good stuff.

A smile playing on his lips, Kenta grabbed the remote from the side table next to the hospital bed and turned on the TV.

He fiddled with the settings, putting on the live of the fresh rock band.

They were greeted with the live having already started and quite well on its way. On the screen, Nayuta couldn’t see much of Ren, but from what he could see, her eyes seemed to burn with a special sort of determination.

She announced their next song, Pray, just as Nayuta readjusted the pillow a bit more so he could properly relax and watch.

He remembered this song. It was the song he’d heard them play over the livestream when their drummer was in a coma. Nayuta had been there, watching as their music brought him out of unconsciousness. “This is _that_ song, huh?” he asked out loud.

Kenta nodded. “I see you remember it.”

“How could I forget?”

Nayuta hadn’t been able to meet up with Ren after DesFes, and he had to admit, he’d been a bit worried when he heard that their drummer had collapsed. Starved of her, he’d allowed himself to be dragged to watch Argonavis sing to their drummer.

Ren’s voice now and her voice then seemed to be the same, desperate, yet focused, as if she knew exactly what she wanted.

_“This sky, dyed in red,  
A storm of migratory birds,  
Holds up and keeps flying,  
I wonder where they’re heading towards?  
  
The fire you started,  
Continues on protecting us,  
Our answer becomes a song,  
And looks for you.”_

Nayuta’s eyes widened slightly as Ren went into the second verse of the song. While he knew the song had been written with someone else in mind, somehow…

Somehow it felt this was directed towards him.

Even through the screen, he felt Ren’s gentleness and her resolve to never let him go. Her powerful voice seemed to bring back the energy in his bones and lift his spirits. He felt as if he was awakening from his own coma.

This must have probably been how the drummer had felt too.

_“Hey you, hurry up and come back!”_

He pushed a hand through his hair, letting it rest over his eyes, letting out a deep chuckle.

“This girl…”

Kenta smiled softly, silently exiting the room. Before he shut the door, he turned around to see a smile pulling at Nayuta’s lips.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Nayuta reconcile. Argonavis begins to look forward.

Nayuta was at his wit’s end with his band.

All through his hospitalization, Kenta and Miyuki had babied him, Ryo had followed their instructions and somehow babied him even more, all the while Reon videotaped the whole thing with chortles of how he would never let the vocalist live this down.

Although, if one were to give him credit, Reon never spoke out about how Nayuta had reacted to Ren leaving him.

Probably because deep down, he was a good guy, and also because the one time he had tried joking around with Nayuta about his first serious relationship and had received a real death glare from Kenta, after which he promptly shut up.

At this point however, Nayuta was sick of being babied and treated like a kid. He’d gladly take Reon’s prodding just so he could sock him in the jaw and get some exercise for once.

And right now, he just wanted them to leave him alone.

He got his wish when a knock sounded on the door and Kenta got up to check it.

“Oh, Nanahoshi.”

Nayuta’s head snapped up at the mention of her name, turning to the door where Kenta stood, allowing a familiar head of blue curls to shyly peek in.

“Alright,” Kenta said to the other three members seated around Nayuta. “Let’s give them some space.”

“But why?” Miyuki whined, smirking at the rage boiling up in Nayuta’s face. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen Ren-chan. Why does Nayuta get to keep her all to himself?”

Nayuta ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Get out, all of you!” he growled in a voice that said that he really would smack Miyuki over the head with his IV drip stand if he was pushed any further.

With his outburst showing he meant business, Kenta grabbed Miyuki by his collar and quickly dragged him out, telling Reon to bring Ryo before he would need dragging out as well. Reon complied, giving Ren a sympathetic smile before shutting the door behind him and leaving the two alone.

Nayuta sighed heavily. “Those guys….” He grumbled. “They really push my buttons.”

Ren slowly inched over to the chair beside his bed, taking a seat. “Nayuta-kun…”

He turned to her. “So, you finally came,” he said, his voice not betraying any emotion.

She nodded. “Kenta-san told us you’re doing much better now.”

He hummed. “I’ll be out of here tomorrow,” he said, leaning back against the headboard with his arms behind his head. “I can’t wait to get out of this godforsaken place.”

“You don’t like hospitals, Nayuta-kun?”

He shook his head. “I was in them a lot as a kid,” he explained. “I couldn’t do much as a kid. Couldn’t play rough, couldn’t go camping, couldn’t sing.”

“Y-you’re fine telling me all this?” she asked hesitantly.

“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked. “I get it that guy already told you about my condition. So why should I hold back?”

It made her head slightly spin. “Speaking of which,” she said, looking up, “please can you not end up in hospitals again?” she pleaded. “I hated the way you looked. And even now…” Her eyes went to the IV drip attached to his hand, supplying needed fluids to his recovering body.

“Then will you make sure I won’t?”

She brought her eyes up to his face. “I-I suppose.”

“Why are you so hesitant today?” he asked. “You’re not normally this shy around me.”

She gulped slightly, still finding it awkward. Even if her hand had been forced, technically she had broken up with him. But now that there were no more obstacles, did it invalidate their previous separation? Was Nayuta her ex now or were they technically still together?

“I…I’m just confused…” she admitted.

“About what?” he asked.

“About what it means for us.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m wondering that myself,” he said. “Since, you know, you did break up with me quite suddenly.”

Her breath caught in her throat. Was he still unaware?

“Although I know why you did so, it doesn’t erase what you did, does it?”

Well, at least he knew.

“I-it doesn’t…” she sadly admitted.

He sighed a bit. “Well, I expected that,” he said a bit grumpily, turning his head away. “At least now that I’m out of the way, you can be with Goryo no issues.”

“Wait, what?”

“That fedora-loving, optimistic idiot. I don’t understand what anyone would ever see in him…”

“Nayuta-kun! Yuto and I aren’t together!”

He turned back to her, a bit surprised at her words. “You’re not?”

She shook her head. “We just…don’t see each other that way.” However, the way she cast her eyes down at the bed for a moment told him that something had happened. “Besides, he’s not the one I’m in love with.”

A smirk pulled at the corners of his lips. “Oh really? Then who is?” he taunted slightly.

Her cheeks went red as she fixed him with a determined gaze. “It’s you, Nayuta-kun.”

He let out a small hmph at that, supressing a rising feeling in his chest. “I’m glad to hear that…” he said in a low voice.

“What?”

He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, I heard your song the other day.”

“You did? Then you caught that?”

“How could I not?” he asked. “You…really helped me out.”

Her smile was bright. “I’m happy then!”

He allowed himself to smile a little as she placed her hand in the hand without the IV tubes coming out of it. “So, we’re okay?” she asked softly.

He nodded, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a small kiss on her knuckles. “Yeah, we’re okay.”

***

“Guys! Big news!”

Ren jumped along with everyone as Yuto slammed the sharehouse door loudly. “Yu! Don’t slam the door! We’re liable for damages, remember?” Wataru hissed at him.

“Sorry,” Yuto apologized quickly. “But I have great news!”

“Oh, what is it?” Ren asked.

He placed his hands on his hips, standing triumphantly. “Argonavis is going on tour!” he exclaimed.

Wide eyes shared excited glances around the couch. “Wait, tour?” Wataru asked.

“Well, it’s not set in stone yet,” the guitarist admitted, eliciting an exasperated sigh from Wataru. “But, since our shows at live houses have been doing so well, the company wants us to perform a series of lives at this theatre.”

He presented them with a pamphlet. Rio furrowed his brows at it. “This…is one of the biggest theatres in Tokyo…” he trailed off.

Yuto nodded. “If those lives do well, then the company is willing to send us on a Kanto tour!”

Wataru smiled. “That’s…awesome!”

Rio grinned. “A tour, finally.”

“It’s no national tour yet like Gyroaxia,” Yuto admitted. “But, it’s a great first step!”

Ren nodded. “A tour…” she said softly. “I’m excited!”

Banri got up and punched the air with his fists. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “It finally feels like we’re actual pros!”

“We’ve got to do well in our lives then,” Rio smiled, his stoic façade unable to hold back his excitement.

“Let’s make our shows so profitable they’ll _have_ to send us!” Banri stated.

Ren nodded. “Yeah!”

Yuto laughed. “Well, guys, looks like we’re finally making it big!”

“I had no doubt,” Wataru grinned at his side. “As long as it’s the five of us, we can do anything.”

Yuto shared his look and turned back. “As long as it’s the five of us,” he echoed. “Yes, let’s do it!” he exclaimed.

“Do what?” Ren asked.

“Let’s get our Kanto tour and make it a Japan tour!” Yuto proposed. “Then we’ll set our sights for Asia, and then the world!”

Banri chuckled. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

“Set our sights for the world, huh?” Rio asked.

“Oh, what the heck, I’m in!” Wataru chuckled.

“Ren?” Yuto turned to her.

She nodded. “Let’s go to the top together,” she said, standing up from her seat. “If I go to the top with anyone, I want it to be with Argonavis.”

The grins she saw around the table echoed her sentiments.

As long as it was the five of them, they could get to the top.

The top where Nayuta was waiting for her…


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gyroaxia's tour kicks off. Argonavis achieves a milestone.

Argonavis left the stage to the sounds of mindblowing cheers that never seemed to stop even after they’d given an encore.

“Listen to those cheers!” Yuto grinned. “They won’t stop!”

“They’re so passionate,” Ren said, her eyes shining.

“I think I’d put that one down as a success,” Rio smiled.

Wataru and Banri hummed in agreement. “Hey, Yu?” Wataru asked.

“Yeah?”

“This is the last of our lives, isn’t it?” the bassist asked. Yuto nodded.

“So that means the management should be getting back in touch with us soon!” Banri realized.

“Yeah,” Yuto trailed off. “I think it’ll be a positive response though.”

As the band began to pack up in the dressing room, Banri turned to Ren, having been scrolling through his phone.

“Hey, Gyroaxia’s tour seems to be doing quite well!” he commented, eagerly showing her his phone screen.

She nodded. “That’s great to hear!”

Yuto sighed. “Banri, you know she gets her information straight from the source, right?” he asked.

“I know, I know,” Banri grinned. “But these articles have been blowing up everywhere.”

“It is a good thing to see that Asahi’s recovered enough to perform again,” Rio hummed.

Ren nodded absentmindedly, her mind going back to a couple of months ago.

After their talk in his hospital room, Nayuta had jumped straight into training once he was discharged. In order to rebuild his strength and endurance required for long two hour lives, he’d been put on a specially crafted training regimen by Miyuki, monitored by Kenta of course to make sure he wouldn’t push himself unnecessarily. His intense training combined with actual band practice made it so that he practically had zero free time anymore.

Which of course meant that the two of them had absolutely no time to spend with each other.

Ren only saw Nayuta during class, not even being able to meet him in his apartment anymore since his practices lasted long. The one time he had called her over, they hadn’t been able to get anything done since he’d simply fallen asleep with his head in her lap. She hadn’t minded, of course, threading her fingers through his silky hair until he was in a deep sleep.

She was quite happy for him that he was finally closer to his dream. It gave her the motivation to work hard with Argonavis on her own possible tour.

However, that didn’t negate the feelings of loneliness she felt when he finally left.

It had been three months since Gyroaxia’s tour had begun, and Argonavis had been focused on their own series of lives, doing well each time. Ren had also made sure to talk to Nayuta every night, telling him of the events back in Tokyo while he spent a few words about the state of their lives. And of course, Ren made sure to update him of Nyankotarou’s condition, since he had left her in charge of caring for his cat while he was away for a long time.

It went unsaid, but she could always tell in his voice that he really wanted to be back with her during their long nightly calls.

“Hopefully we’ll soon be like them too,” Ren said.

She was met with triumphant grins all around.

“Definitely!” Yuto declared. “We’ll get our Kanto tour and become just as big as Gyroaxia!”

“Especially since we have nothing else to worry about!” Banri cried.

Wataru, however, frowned softly as he recalled what his brother had told him.

_“So, someone more powerful than Mashu-san exists,” Wataru commented._

_Kenta nodded. “Technically he’s only a mere manager, so he’s always been controlled by people more powerful than him,” he pointed out. “However, this time it came from outside the company.”_

_“Someone outside the company has that much influence over Mashu-san?” Wataru softly asked._

_Kenta hummed. “That someone was out to get Nayuta,” he explained. “Someone knew him well enough to know exactly what could break him.”_

_“That someone used Mashu-san to make Ren break up with him,” Wataru realized. “Because if it was simply cancelling Gyroaxia’s live, it wouldn’t have worked.”_

_“You’re right there,” Kenta said._

_“You seem worried, nii-san.”_

_“I am,” the elder admitted. He sighed, looking down into his near empty wine glass. “Someone knew Nayuta well enough to know exactly what would break him,” he repeated softly, almost as if he was talking to himself._

_“Does Nayuta have a lot of enemies?” Wataru asked._

_Kenta shook his head. “Contrary to his behaviour, the list of people who could have it out for Nayuta is very small. And even smaller when we consider people who actually know Nayuta well.”_

_“What about Mashu-san?” Wataru wondered. “This was quite the risky move even for him. How could an outsider have that much control over him?”_

_“I looked into him. He didn’t go through the regular interview process,” Kenta explained. “He came on a recommendation from someone really influential.”_

_“That powerful…?” Wataru asked. “Could you find out any other information?”_

_Kenta shook his head. “Unfortunately, that was classified information.”_

_Wataru studied his brother’s face. “It seems you may have an idea of who did it,” he guessed._

_“I think I do,” Kenta replied. “And I don’t like it one bit.”_

_Wataru watched his brother for a moment, taking in his worried glance, furrowed brows and lips set in a line._

_“Wataru.”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Keep this between us, alright?”_

_Wataru raised his eyebrows. “But isn’t it better for us to tell them? After all, Ren and Nayuta- “_

_“-don’t need to carry this burden,” Kenta cut him off. He turned to look at his younger brother, setting his green eyes on him. “Promise me, Wataru.”_

_Wataru wanted to argue, but upon seeing the uncharacteristic look marring Kenta’s face, sighed._

_“Alright, nothing we say here gets out anywhere else.”_

“-taru. Wataru!”

A voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he blinked, registering Yuto in front of his face, waving his hand.

“Yeah?”

“Are you alright?” the brunette asked, sounding a bit worried. “You seemed to be quite dep in thought.”

For a moment, Wataru wondered what would happen if he were to take Yuto aside and tell him what Kenta had told him.

But then again, he should have also told him that he had lied to him multiple times before.

He realized that his brother was right.

Because he cared about his friends, he wouldn’t let them carry this burden of information. This burden would be something for simply the two brothers, a secret between the two of them, that they could use to protect the ones closest to them.

Wataru smiled softly. “Just thinking about our new song,” he lied.

“Oh, is that all?” Yuto exclaimed, slinging his arm around Wataru’s shoulder. “You work too hard. You should just come and celebrate with the rest of us for once! The song can wait!”

Wataru matched his grin, trying to avoid the clenching feeling in his heart. “Yeah, that sounds awesome.”

***

Kenta scrolled through his phone, monitoring Nayuta’s workout from the corner of his eyes, when something caught his attention.

He smiled a bit.

“Nayuta.”

“Hah?” the vocalist asked, having been in the middle of some intensive sit-ups. “What do you want now?”

Kenta turned his phone screen to show him. “Look at this,” he grinned. “Argonavis just announced their Kanto tour.”

Nayuta paused at that. “Kanto tour?” he repeated.

Kenta nodded. “Remember how I told you they had a series of lives to test it out?” Nayuta grimly nodded, since he had heard all about it from a certain blue-haired vocalist. “Well, their company finally announced this tour.”

“It’s not Japan, though,” Nayuta murmured.

“Of course, their company isn’t as big as ours,” Kenta explained. “So it makes sense they’d start out smaller.”

Nayuta grunted a bit, returning to his workout.

“Still, it’s a massive achievement for them,” Kenta said. “If this does well, a Japan tour may very well be in the works for them.”

“That’s…good to hear.”

Kenta had to turn to make sure he heard Nayuta right, but when he saw that the vocalist had stopped exercising and was getting up, he smiled. “Shall I make some coffee?” he offered.

“Sure.”

Kenta left to take control of the kitchen, and Nayuta made his way to the window.

Their hotel room had been on one of the high floors of a really tall building, enough that he could see the entire city stretched out below him, twinkling under the darkness of night. Slowly, he placed his palm on the window.

“Nanahoshi Ren,” he murmured. “Rise up and come. I’ll wait for you as long as I need to.”

His hand curled into a small fist.

“But I only want to see this view with you.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gyroaxia returns from their tour and Ren and Nayuta finally reunite.

Gyroaxia’s tour came to a close much quicker than he anticipated, but it wasn’t long before he was getting off the plane back at Tokyo airport with the rest of his band.

And of course, his first order of business was calling Ren while Miyuki and Kenta collected their bags.

“You’re finally back!”

God, he really missed her voice. He couldn’t hide the slight jump in his heart when he thought that today would be the last day he’d have to hear her voice through a phone.

He’d gotten so sick of communicating through this device. He wanted to hear her real voice, not distorted by a machine.

“We’re just getting the bags,” he told her. “We should be back home in about an hour, maximum.”

She hummed. “I already fed Nyankotarou, so you don’t have to worry!” Ren exclaimed.

“What about you?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“Will you be there when I get home?”

She paused for a moment. “Aren’t you tired, Nayuta-kun? You’ve worked really hard, right?”

“Which is why I want to see you as soon as possible.”

“Nayuta-kun…”

“Unless you were planning on just meeting tomorrow.”

He could almost see her furiously nod. “Yeah! You really should rest after your trip.”

He sighed. “Because you said we’ll see each other tomorrow.”

“Of course, I missed you too!”

At that moment however, Kenta had finally gotten the last of their bags and had gone to meet up with the other three. He quickly murmured a goodbye to Ren, reluctantly hanging up the phone before getting up and going to them.

He could wait another day.

***

“So, I see Gyroaxia are finally back,” Rio said as he placed the tray with their drinks down on the table.

Ren nodded. “They’ll be taking a break for a little bit after their tour,” she said.

Wataru hummed, stirring the massive sugar and whipped cream filled shake he had ordered. “Hm, but knowing them, they’ll probably jump right into practice.”

“Wataru, seriously,” Yuto said, eyeing his drink. “You’re giving _me_ diabetes.”

“I’m not sharing,” Wataru snapped, pointing his spoon at the other. “Get your own.”

Yuto put his hands up in defense, knowing very well that no one could get between Wataru and his sweets.

“Have you met up with Nayuta yet?” the redhead kindly asked the vocalist.

She shook her head. “He was quite tired yesterday,” she said. “I didn’t want to force him by going to visit him just as he arrived. And we had no classes together today.”

“He should be coming by soon though, right?”

She nodded, just as the bell jingled. She turned her head to see Nayuta walk through the door. “Ah, there he is!”

Her exclamation was enough to catch his attention and he moved towards their table, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

“Congrats on the successful tour,” Wataru offered.

Yuto gave him a nod of approval, which he returned. He then turned to Ren. “Shall we go?”

“Sure!” She got up. “I’ll see you guys later, then!”

“Have fun!” Wataru waved her off.

Yuto watched wistfully as Ren slid her hand into Nayuta’s hand, smiling up at him as the two exited the café.

A small smile tugged at his lips. Even though he loved her, their bond was a different one, one he may not ever understand.

He chuckled slightly. Here he was, a grown man, pining over someone unattainable.

“Yu,” a voice behind him said.

He turned to find the redhead standing there. “Oh, Wataru.”

Wataru followed Yuto’s line of sight to the closing door. He sighed softly. “How’re you holding up?” he asked.

“How do you think?” the brunette asked. “The person I’m in love with will definitely never return my feelings.” He sighed a bit, placing his chin on his propped hand. “But…a friend found happiness. So, I’m okay with it.”

“I suppose it doesn’t make it any easier, huh?” Wataru gave him a soft smile.

Yuto shook his head. “Feelings don’t just change, remember?”

Wataru grinned at his friend using his own words against him. “Touché,” he said. He raised his eyes up to the door for a moment. “But I honestly envy them.”

“Oh? Why so?” the brunette asked.

“Their meeting was truly a destined one,” Wataru commented. “Those two were captivated by each other ever since they first met. The best thing was they didn’t know it then.”

Yuto chuckled softly. “Imagine telling the Nayuta then that he’d fall this hard for our Ren.”

The bassist shared his laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think he’d believe you.” He considered Yuto once more.

The leader sighed. “Wataru, seriously. Don’t worry about me,” he assured. “I’m an adult, I can get over a crush.”

Wataru shrugged slightly, seemingly not convinced. “If you say so.”

“Hey, if those two were able to be brought together by fate, then I have hope that the same is waiting for me,” Yuto explained.

“Your own destined meeting, huh?” Wataru guessed.

Yuto nodded. “Yeah, one day…”

He trailed off as the redhead chuckled and moved a bit further away to return his empty glass. The guitarist stretched his arms above his head and leaned back in his chair. As he did so, his gaze slowly fell from the ceiling to rest on the other.

His mind wandered to the person he was just two years prior, before he had met Ren, before he had formed Argonavis, before he had found music again.

Now that he thought about it, this whole thing started because of _them_.

Because somehow, he had been lucky enough to meet Wataru.

_Speaking of destined meetings…_

“Hey, Wataru?”

“Yeah, Yu?”

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

***

They ended back at Nayuta’s apartment.

Mostly it was due to the fact that Nayuta was still quite worn out from his long trip, and Ren had become slightly paranoid about him pushing himself.

To which he was least impressed.

“Don’t baby me,” he complained to her. “I’m an adult. Treat me like one.”

“But, Nayuta-kun!” she protested.

“No buts,” he said, reaching out to cup her cheek. “I’m your lover, so treat me accordingly, not like a kindergarten child.”

She nodded, revelling in the feeling of his hand on her cheek.

After so much time, his touch ignited feelings in her that she’d missed for months.

She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. It was soft, hesitant, yet he still obliged.

When they pulled away, both of them were breathing heavily.

After so many months of separation, it seemed their desire for each other had multiplied tenfold.

Nayuta pulled her to him a bit, tilting his head to give him better access to her. Quickly, he deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips as his free hand ran up her waist, tracing the curve of her body.

“Bed, now,” he breathed when they parted for air.

She nodded, allowing him to pick her up and carry her to his bedroom. She quickly pushed his jacket off his shoulders as he kicked the door of his bedroom closed so that they wouldn’t be interrupted by the cat at any point.

He placed her on the ground, pressing his lips to her neck, lightly nipping at her skin. In the meantime, his free hand ran through her hair, and he silently marvelled at how easily his fingers slipped through her curls even with all the rings he wore.

She found a strange urge take over her, the urge to consume him, to consume his everything.

Giving him a light shove onto the bed, she climbed onto it, straddling him as she pushed kisses onto his mouth.

“You’re pretty enthusiastic today,” he murmured between kisses.

“Nayuta-kun…” was all she was able to say since she really couldn’t tell him to shut up. She needed him right now, craved him.

And judging by how he relented to her assault, sliding his arms around her waist to hold her hips in place, he craved her too.

Her mind was fuzzy, all thoughts other than this connection pushed to the back. One by one, their clothes fell off as they unleashed all their repressed desire all these months.

Just as she was about to slide onto him, his grip on her hips tightened and he pushed her onto him with a bit of force. The sudden movement caused her to let out a squeak that she supressed by biting her lip.

However, he gently tugged her lip out from her teeth with his thumb.

“Let me hear your voice,” he told her.

That was all she needed to let herself go, burying her head in Nayuta’s shoulder. He himself relished in the loud moans coming out of her mouth as she cried into his skin.

He missed these sounds way too much during the five months he was away. So much that all he wanted was to hear more, and he didn’t care who else heard.

He got his wish when they climaxed together, and she let out an indescribable sound that was music to his ears.

She collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily.

“Hey, get up,” he softly told her. “You should go clean yourself up.”

“Nayuta-kun,” she breathed. “Can we just stay like this for a while?”

He sighed, running a hand through her hair and twisting one of her curls around his finger.

How could he refuse?

***

When waking found Ren once more, it was the middle of the night.

As the moonlight streamed in through the window, it seemed to highlight Nayuta’s sleeping face, his chest rising and falling softly in tune with his breaths.

She studied his face. With the moonlight falling on him and highlighting his silver hair even more, he looked almost ethereal especially since his face lacked his signature scowl.

She reached out, lightly tracing his face with her finger.

Even after all they had been through, even after they had been pushed apart, they had continued to find each other again.

She let her fingers rest on his jawline.

This man, this beautiful man, had decided to love her.

That was something that she still couldn’t believe.

Even after all this time, ever since Yuto and Wataru had burst into her room asking her to join their band, ever since she came face to face with Nayuta, ever since she visited him and they sang together…she still couldn’t believe it.

Her gaze rose for a moment and she caught a glimpse of the starry sky.

_Oh, that was beautiful!_

Silently, taking care not to wake her sleeping lover, she slipped out of the bed, making sure to grab his shirt as the night air was quite cold on her sensitive skin. She made her way to the window, resting her palms on the sill.

The sky was beautiful but seemed even clearer than usual tonight.

She then felt hands snaking around her stomach and a small kiss being pressed to her neck.

“Sorry,” she said softly. “Did I wake you?”

Nayuta shook his head. “I’ve been up for a while.”

Her eyes widened. “You have?” she asked, blood rising to her face as she realized he was probably awake when she was caressing his face. “Then why didn’t you say anything!”

He grumbled slightly. “Well, I didn’t want to stop you.”

He removed his lips from her skin and looked up, following her line of sight.

“The sky’s clear tonight,” he commented.

She nodded. “The stars are beautiful too.”

Ren leaned back against his bare chest, letting a smile tug at her lips.

She sighed. “I feel excited,” she said.

“How come?”

“Things are finally looking up,” she explained. “Oh, I really want our tour to succeed too! I want to reach you as soon as possible! I want to be where you are.”

He said nothing to that, simply turning her in his arms so that she was facing him, the moonlight behind illuminating her features. The look in his eyes was soft, and there was a small smile on his lips.

“You already are.”

With that, he pressed her against the windowsill and slid his lips over hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of my first Argo fic!
> 
> Woo, 30 chapters is a lot xD
> 
> But I hoped you enjoyed it! I have another longfic in the works, and I'll probably keep uploading one-shots when the inspiration strikes!
> 
> I thank you, dear readers, for sticking with me through this story, and I hope you had a wonderful time!


	31. Bonus Chapter: WHITE FLAME

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Nayuta's birthday, and despite his insistence that he wants nothing, Ren scrambles to create the perfect memory by writing a song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't normally return to stories I've already completed, but the idea for this quick one came to me while I was listening to Ignition. So I thought I'd write something small and continue this story a bit. 
> 
> I might continue to do so as and when inspiration strikes. It won't be much, since I'm practically done with this AU, but it could at any time. 
> 
> I rushed to finish this before Nayuta's birthday ended xD
> 
> I hope you like it!

As the day of Nayuta’s birthday drew near, Ren found herself even more antsy as she was devoid of any ideas on what to get him.

While last year she had shown up at their live and surprised him, along with sending him a personal card, this year was special.

After all, it was the first year she and Nayuta spent together.

She also had to admit that she wanted to pay him back for the cards he got for her earlier that year, since she really treasured them. She wanted to give him something from the bottom of her own heart.

However he didn’t seem to share her enthusiasm.

“He’s so stubborn!” she complained on the phone to Kenta, who bemusedly put up with her frantic calls as the date neared. “He either keeps changing the topic or just ignores me! Me!”

Kenta chuckled on the other end. “Yeah, he’s known to do that,” he grinned.

Especially after the fiascos that had happened, Kenta had suggested that Ren carry his number as well, just in case Nayuta was unreachable. Nayuta had not been happy when he found Kenta’s number on her phone, but eventually agreed that if anybody’s number was to be on her phone, he’d rather it be Kenta since he didn’t trust the rest of his band around her in the slightest.

Since then, the two had been in steady contact, the frequency of which had continued to increase as Nayuta continued to be a hard head.

“Did you actually talk to him and ask him what he wants?” Kenta suggested. “Nayuta’s not good with subtlety.”

“Of course I did!” Ren exclaimed.

“And what did he say?”

“I don’t like birthdays,” she imitated Nayuta’s gruff voice. “So don’t even think of getting me anything.”

Kenta suppressed a laugh at how her soft voice sounded trying to imitate Nayuta. “I see,” he quickly coughed.

“Kenta-san.”

“Hm?”

“Is there a particular reason why Nayuta doesn’t like birthdays?” she wondered. “Even last year…”

“I’d say that this year is different from last,” Kenta interjected. “But he hasn’t liked birthdays as long as I’ve known him.”

“He hasn’t?” Ren deflated slightly.

“I suppose he’s the type of person that doesn’t like them, or he has some really bad memories associated with them. As you’ve come to find out though, he doesn’t talk about it too much so I sadly cannot be of more help.”

“Not at all, Kenta-san!” she said. “Thanks for everything.”

When Kenta hung up, Ren pursed her lips once more.

Bad memories, huh?

It would make sense, that her boyfriend would hate birthdays because of bad memories being associated with them. Ren hadn’t had the happiest of birthdays since most of them had been celebrated with simply her parents since she lacked friends, however she didn’t hate them.

Could they perhaps make new ones then? If he had a happy memory on his birthday then perhaps, he would look forward to them more?

She racked her brain more.

If she was going to give him a happy memory for his birthday, she was going to have to do something that really resonated with him.

However, if she knew him, the only thing that ever resonated with him was music.

A lightbulb seemed to go off in her head.

_Music!_

That was her answer!

Grabbing her notebook that she scribbled her ideas in, the way Wataru taught her when she expressed interest in songwriting, she began to brainstorm ideas for a song.

***

It wasn’t long before she hit a snag.

Knocking softly on the door to the studio, she went in when she was called.

“Um, Wataru?”

She paused however, when she saw that Yuto was also there, acoustic guitar in his lap as the two chatted. She had half a mind to turn around and leave the two of them alone, but then Wataru turned around and smiled, getting up.

“Ren! What’s wrong?”

“Um…” she said. “Can we speak…privately?”

Wataru nodded. “Yu, can you give us a minute?”

Yuto nodded. “Sure, take your time! I’ll probably just meet you at the sweet shop then!”

Wataru nodded as Yuto got up to leave. “Oh, you guys are hanging out later?” Ren slowly asked.

“Don’t worry about us,” Wataru gently told her. “We’re just spending time.”

“Yeah, it’s a date!” Yuto yelled out before closing the door behind him, and Ren chuckled as Wataru ran a hand through his red hair and sighed in exasperation.

“So now that my annoying boyfriend is gone,” Wataru sighed. “What can I help you with?”

Ren showed him her notebook. “Well, it’s Nayuta’s birthday soon, and I wanted to write a song for him. But I’m stuck.”

“Oh, let me see.”

He took the notebook from her and flipped through the pages, perusing the words scribbled onto the page. He then raised his head. “Were you trying to write a love song?” he asked.

She shyly nodded, a light blush dotting her cheeks. “I was…but as you can see…I was failing.”

“Ah, I think I know why,” Wataru said, his eyes scanning the cut-out words and ideas as his lips pursed.

“You do?”

He nodded, closing the notebook. “You’re trying to write a love song when love isn’t even the first of your feelings for Nayuta.”

“It…isn’t?”

“I doubt,” Wataru told her, handing her the notebook back. “You want my advice? I think you should stop forcing yourself to write a pretty love song and just write about what you want to tell Nayuta.”

“What I want to tell Nayuta-kun?” she asked slowly.

Wataru hummed. “I know you’re capable of it. After all, you wrote Starry Line while thinking of him, didn’t you?”

Ren sighed, nodding. It was true, back then, she had just written out everything she wanted to express, the frustration of wanting to be noticed and the uncertainty of stepping into a world dominated by geniuses.

“I think he’ll appreciate anything as long as it comes from you,” Wataru pointed out.

She nodded once more. “Thanks, Wataru.”

He grinned. “Don’t mention it!” he said. “If you need any help with those lyrics, don’t be afraid to call.”

“Even on your date?” she asked hesitantly.

“Even on my date,” Wataru laughed, ruffling her hair. “Good luck, Ren.”

***

“A song, huh?” Kenta hummed softly as he leaned back against the wall.

“Yeah,” Ren replied on the other side of the phone line. “Is it…alright?”

He chuckled softly. “It’s perfect,” he said. “You really know him well.”

“I do?” she asked.

“Music is everything to him, so talking to him through it is perfect,” Kenta told her. “I think he’ll love it if you sing to him for his birthday.”

She heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness!” she exclaimed. “I was so worried I spent all these days and might have screwed up.”

“You don’t have to worry about anything, honestly,” he informed. “Despite appearances, you know Nayuta adores you, so whatever you do, he’ll like it.” He let out a breath. “But it does make me happy that you’re putting so much thought into this.”

“You won’t tell him, will you?” she asked, suddenly panicked.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” he smiled.

The door opened and Nayuta walked in at that moment, making Kenta smirk. “I should go now, Nanahoshi,” he said, deliberately louder than normal. “Nayuta’s here and he’s giving me the stink eye. I fear if I continue to talk to you any longer, he’ll hatch an elaborate plan to make sure I won’t be found again.”

“Kenta-san!” Ren exclaimed. “Nayuta-kun’s not like that!”

Kenta laughed as he hung up, turning his head to the vocalist stewing in anger, arms crossed over his chest.

“You’ve been incredibly chatty with _my_ girlfriend, Satozuka,” Nayuta growled softly.

“What can I say?” Kenta replied nonchalantly, getting up. “I can’t help it if she sees me as an older brother figure the way she sees my little brother.”

“Tch,” was Nayuta’s response. “What were you two talking about, anyway?”

Kenta slipped his phone into his pocket, putting a finger to his lips. “It’s a secret,” he winked for good measure.

He walked away as Nayuta gave an almost feral growl.

In this band ruled by that tyrant, teasing him was always going to be fun.

***

Nayuta was not having a good day.

He really hated birthdays, especially his own.

First, his classmates tried to throw a party for him and take him out for drinks which he had to “politely” decline. Then his members insisted on bringing a cake and Kenta made sure that he cut it so as to not hurt Ryo’s feelings (despite appearances, Kenta could be scary when he wanted and Nayuta didn’t want to get on his bad side.) So he pretended to enjoy cutting a sweet confectionary as the others ramped it up.

He was almost relieved when he received a text from Ren asking him to meet her in their regular practice studio.

At least she would listen to him.

Although a part of him was beginning to wonder, as he walked up the stairs to the place in question, why were they meeting in a studio and not at his place like usual?

It was suspicious.

Were her bandmates planning another surprise party for him?

Because if they were, he didn’t care how much she liked them, he would kill all of them and dump their bodies in the river.

He finally came upon the studio that Argonavis utilized. While he didn’t come by too often, since he found it easier to just have Ren come by his practice room, he had memorized the number at once.

Of course, it also happened that he seemed to instinctually know the room from where Ren’s singing emanated from, and that had primarily been the reason he’d memorized it so easily.

While he would generally knock before going in, Ren had also assured him over text that it would just be the two of them, and hence he simply pushed down the door handle and walked in.

He saw Ren setting up a mic by the drums and other instruments, all of which lay in their cases, unused. However, they were all crowded together in one side of the small room, and Nayuta also noticed a chair in the middle of the room. There were only a handful of lights on, illuminating the mysterious chair and the mic stand.

Ren raised her head when Nayuta came in. “Nayuta-kun!” she exclaimed happily. “You came!”

“Of course I did,” he replied curtly. “I needed an excuse to get away from those idiots.”

She chuckled softly. While earlier she would protest that his bandmates weren’t idiots and be offended on their behalf, now she seemed to have gotten it into her head that he secretly liked them despite his obvious dislike of all of them.

“So, why call me here?” he asked. “And alone?”

She stood in front of him and took a deep breath. Secretly, he braced for news as she had the look on her face that said she had done something he should be mad at.

“Nayuta-kun, I know you’ve told me so many times you don’t want anything for your birthday.”

“And I mean it, I don’t.”

“But I can’t just let it go.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Ren, what did you do?”

“I didn’t buy anything for you, if that’s what you’re thinking!” she exclaimed, and he instantly recalled the Star Five charm she had hurriedly bought for him and the haphazard birthday singing she had done the last year.

“I wrote you a song.”

He raised an eyebrow at that. “A…song…?” he slowly repeated, as if he couldn’t believe it himself.

Ren nodded. “Yeah, all that I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, I put it in a song.” She then looked down. “Well, Wataru did help me arrange the lyrics, and I can’t write music so Rio helped compose the music, but he helped me record the backing track so it could just be the two of us-“

“You didn’t need to go that far,” he said, knowing that songwriting wasn’t Ren’s forte. The last thing he wanted was for her to go this far, and she had done exactly that.

“I wanted to.” He raised his eyes from the floor to meet hers. “Nayuta-kun, can you please listen to my song?”

He wanted to refuse, to tell her that he had explicitly stated that he wanted her to do nothing special for the one day a year he dreaded. Yet, he found himself sighing and nodding, sliding into the chair she had laid out for him and crossing his legs.

“Well, I’ll bite,” he admitted. “I’m curious to see your writing now.”

Ren smiled widely at getting him to budge, going over to the instruments. That was when he noticed that she had placed her phone on top of a small portable speaker set lying on the drums. She pressed a few buttons and then moved to the mic as soft piano music began to come from the speakers, eventually evolving into an entire band.

“Please listen to my voice, Nayuta-kun,” she said into the mic. “White Flame.”

As the beginning bars ended, Ren opened her mouth and began to sing. As she sang, Nayuta uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to listen.

She sang of inspiration and hope that she felt from his music. She sang of the scariness of having to compete with someone like him, who could shake the whole world, and of the resolve to follow him to the top. She sang of the frustrations of being swept away by his energy and always chasing after him, and of the happiness when he stopped to pull her along with him.

In between the verses of metaphors comparing him to a wildfire burning away the darkness, were words of her love. They didn’t dominate the song, but they stood out to him.

He allowed the corners of his lips curl into a small smile as he listened to her feelings. A part of him was also slowly becoming restless, wanting to grab the mic and sing alongside her, answering her song with his own, letting her know he wouldn’t be anywhere without her by his side.

He stayed in his seat though, as the song came to an end, and Ren sang out the entirety of her feelings. She panted a bit; slightly worn out from the emotional music she had just performed.

She raised her head to gauge his reaction when she saw him with his hand over his eyes.

Did he…hate it so much?

“N-Nayuta-kun…?”

She left the mic to slowly move towards him, not really knowing how to proceed. When she was close enough however, she heard him speak.

“Dammit.”

“Huh?” Ren asked, a bit shocked.

He removed his hand from his face and for a fraction of a moment, she caught emotion swirling in his eyes and a flush on his cheeks. That moment didn’t last however, as he grabbed her chin and leaned up to kiss her.

“You…are…” he trailed off, breaking away from her.

She was still stunned at his reaction, so all she could reply with was another “Huh?”

He got up, towering over her as he slowly backed her to the nearest wall.

“Um, Nayuta-kun?” she asked, still not sure what to make of him.

Placing a hand on the wall, effectively trapping her beneath him, he sighed. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?” he told her in a low voice. “After I tell you not to do anything, you go above and beyond with that beautiful song-“

“You liked it then?” she cut him off.

“It’s your music,” he simply said. “Of course I loved it.”

He leaned forward, his lips hovering over hers. “Your music reached me, Nanahoshi Ren,” he said. “Thank you.”

Nayuta then bent down, engulfing her lips with his.

There was a lot he hadn’t said yet, and even more he wanted to do. Her song had roused him once more. He wanted to sing again, he wanted to sing with her. And even darker part of him wanted to take Ren right here on this wall, but he held back.

However, he tried to get his feelings across in his kiss, of how she had inspired him too, and of how she was as much a part of his music now as he was of hers.

When they broke apart for air, he leaned his head on her shoulder, his ragged breaths tickling her neck.

As usual, she didn’t push him away, simply wrapping her arms around his body.

“Nayuta-kun.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t mind if you won’t tell me why you hate your birthday,” Ren said. “But just know, things are different now, and I won’t stop wanting to make good memories with you.”

He sighed softly. A full minute of pleasant silence passed between them before Nayuta spoke.

“When I was growing up…” he said softly. “My birthday was the worst day of the year.”

“Why?” she gently asked.

“Dad wasn’t around, Mom was always working. I didn’t have any other relatives, so I’d always spend my birthday by myself,” he explained. “Not that it was any different to any other day. Sometimes I wondered if my Mom ever thought my Dad had the right idea by leaving. She’d always rather work late and drink with her co-workers than spend time with me.”

Ren stayed quiet, simply holding him tighter.

“I’d spend the day just eating leftovers and watching lives on TV, like any other night,” Nayuta continued. “But what made my birthday so much worse was that I’d have to hear about all the other kids who got lavish parties and gifts.” He breathed a huge sigh. “I suppose it was the one day a year I was truly reminded of how alone I was.”

Ren couldn’t help but blink back her tears as she listened to Nayuta’s story.

While she’d never had friends, her parents would always still come home early to spend the night with her. They’d always give her a cake and a single present, and then they would put her to bed. She’d never thought much of it, but after hearing what Nayuta had been going through, she realized that while she had been lonely, she’d never been truly alone like he was.

“But, I’ll admit things are different now.” His hand found hers, his fingers threading hers. “Birthdays…might not be so annoying…if you’re around.”

She flushed deeply.

“Ren.”

“Hm?”

“Will you stay by my side?”

Ren nodded fervently. “Of course,” she said without hesitation. “I won’t let you be alone again, Nayuta-kun. That was our promise, wasn’t it?”

As her other hand slowly ran up his neck to play amongst his white curls, she felt him smile against her skin.

“Then…I suppose birthdays aren’t so bad after all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that! I took the opportunity to also tie up some loose ends as well as write some characters I love to write (Kenta) once more. 
> 
> I got the idea "White Flame" from the Scatter performance during Ignition. I thought the idea of Nayuta being compared to a white flame would be quite poetic! 
> 
> And also yes, for those of you wondering, you weren't imagining Yuuwata in this story, and I finally reveal their fate here! Well for those who didn't catch it in the final chapter xD
> 
> Once again, happy Nayuta day!


End file.
